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A HISTORY 



KouND Prairie 



PLYMOUTH. 



1831-1875 






Chicago : 

Geo. J. Titus, Book and Job Printer, 

NO. Ilg LAKE STREET. 
1876. 




7,\i 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by 

E. HORTON YOUNG, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



TO THE READER. 



"We might say of this book with some degree of truthfulness 
that, instead of being made — like Topsy of Uncle Tom's Cabin, 
■"itgrowed." In other words, when we first began to collect 
facts and reminiscences of the early history of this locality, it was 
•done merely for the purpose of gratifying our personal desire to 
know more of the history of our adopted home. 

With the study of the subject, it grew upon us, until it has 
.developed into a book which we think will be of permanent 
interest and value to both present and future citizens of the place^ 
^s well as to many of their friends abroad. 

No doubt mistakes will be found in it, it would be strange 
■should it be otherwise, as the facts have been obtained largely 
ifrom the personal recollections of various individuals, and " to 
«rr is human." 

For the earlier facts of the history we are largely indebted to 
■" Uncle Allen" Melton — i\iQ oldest inhabitant — the only living resi- 
'dent citizen who has been here through the whole period of our 
history. 

For the later facts we are under obligations to almost every 

■citizen of the place, as there are but few who have not con- 

itributed something to its contents. 

THE AUTHOR. 
Plymouth, III., 

April, 1876. 



CONTENTS 



Chapter I. — Early settlers, but few of them left. Our obliga- 
tions to them. Difficulties of the historian. Philosophy of 
history, general principles. Our work. . . Page 9 



'Chapter II. — French explorers two hundred years, ago. What 
might have been. Crooked Creek, why so named. Funny 
Frenchmen. Lamine River, meaning of name — a hit on the 
Monks. Lamoin township. Bronson's creek. The sublime 
and the ridiculous. Flour Creek. Confiscated flour and flour 
afloat, a twice-named creek. Round Prairie, native beauty, 
flowers, framework, fires. Indian settlements at Birmingham, 
Lamoin and Cedar Bluff. City of the dead. United States 
.•■urvey. Mormon trail. ..... Page 13 



Chapter III. — Discovery of (the) Plymouth (to be) in 1831. 
Three-quarters of the corporation "claimed." First improve- 
ments. Birmingham's first permanent occupation. A land 
flowing with honey. Honey in a sack on horseback — a 
demoralized package. Additional settlers in 1832-3. Page 20 



Chapter IV. — Snake stories. Ezekiel Boman and the Cedar 
Bluff snake den, reinforcements, siege. Sapp and Manlove at 
the Birmingham snake den. Great slaughter. Subject for a 
picture — a broken rail — Mr. Sapp rolls down the bluff among 
the snakes. A coincidence, an Indian luxury. Subject 
dropped with a reflection. .... Page 25 



Chapter V. — First organized religious efforts. Methodists at 
the front. First preaching by Rev. Henry Somers in 1833. 
Class formed — Edward Wade leader. First Sunday School 
work, in 1835, by Samuel King, at his own house, afterwards at 
Burton's grove. Going to Sunday School under difficulties — 
the Colonel's strategy — an incident with a sequel. Land sales. 
Changes. A New England colony. Congregational Church, 
original members, survivors. .... Page 29 



\l. CONTENTS. 

Chai'Ter VI. — Broken threads picked up. The bread and but- 
ter, or " Hog and Hominy" question. Game and honey. 
Nearest supplies of bread-stuft and store goods at Rushville, 
Beardstown and Quincy. A corn-cracker at Brooklyn in 1832. 
Hand Mills. Burrs and Bolt in Brooklyn mill in 1S34. Bir- 
mingham mill built in 1835-6. Hardships of short rations. 
Wants in the way of store goods simplified by distance. Post 
Office in Augusta in 1834. First school. . . Page 35 



Chapter VII. — 1836. Plymouth— first year's history. Hotel, 
dwellings, stores, shops, Post Office, school building, teachers, 
Presbyterian Church. ..... Page 40 



•Chapter VIII. — 1837. Plymouth continued. H. P. Griswold 
M. D., and W. M. King, Esq. Fourth of July Barbecue — 
one beef, two hogs and two sheep for dinner, five hundred 
guests, Sidney A. Little, orator ; ball and refreshments at night. 
Yankee town — why it was, and why it is not. Congregational 
house of worship, old house and new, still side by side. Min- 
isters. (Sampson Onions). Congregational and Presbyterian 
meetings, jointly and otherwise, from 1837 to 1850. Sunday 
Scliool Mission work. A " mighty hunter." Meetings in 
Burton's barn and at Byrd Smith's. . . . Page 45 



Chapter IX. — Panic of 1S37 — effect on Plymouth. Mormon- 
ism. Mormon Bible. Moral principles. Chartered rights. 
Military power. Danites. Population in Plymouth and 
in county. Asserting their rights. Gentile perversity. Saving 
bacon with a trap-gun, &c. Mormon vs. Mormon, stolen 
hogs. Tricks of the (Mormon) trade. Political trouble. 
•Press destroyed. Smiths killed. A big scare, Carthagenians 
■flee. Panic spreads. Jim's story. Disgusted guards. Mor- 
mons frightened. Blue stocking war. The Prophet's widow 
and son. ..... ... Page 56 



Chapter X. — Business record of Plymouth, 1839-1S55. Baxter. 
Mormon hotel. Cole and Ewing. M. C. Johnson. Philip 
Meizger. King and Percival. J. W. Bell. H. P. Griswold, 
M. D. John A. Hamilton. The Wilson House burned. Dr. 
Montgomery. Thos. L. Gannon. Thos. Garvin. David 
Higby. John J. Hippie. J.M.Randolph. The Buzan Build- 
ing and its occupants. Lewis Graham. Esta Bidwell. Henry 
Tuck. Sayler and Elliott. D. P. Palmer. John Hayden. 
>J. H. Grafion. James Riggin. Reuben Cecil. John W. 
£oman. Samuel Tibbetts. Reuben Munday. . Page 89 



CONTENTS. Vll. 

Chapter XI. — Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail Road. 
Additions to town plat. How to fill vacant lots. Bell, Rook. 
and Johnson's addition. Wilson's addition. Cook's addition. 
Madison's addition. Randolph's addition. Improvements on 
each. Flouring Mill. School buildings. North school house. 
The "Round Top." The East school house. Plymouth 
school buildings Nos. 2 and 3. Academy Association. 
Post Office. Postmasters and Mail routes. Newspaper, "The 
Locomotive." The Park. The Cemetery. Public and pri- 
vate burying grounds. ..... Page 105. 



Chapter XII. — Business record, 1855-1875. Wm. M. King. 
P. Metzgar. Metzgar and Miller. J. A. Hamilton. J. M, 
Randolph. C. M. Currens. Thomas Rockey. JohnC. Bagby. 
Jacob Elliott. J. W. Whittington. C. Elliott. Jay Davis. 
G. Michaelis. W. H. Vandorn. The Farmer's Club. The 
banking business. David Currens. J, T. Klepper. H. A. 
Jones. D. B. Rankin. W. H. Marsh. John Marsh. J. 
Wintermeyer. E. Marsh. G. W. Ross. Mrs. Gregory. Miss 
Grafton. J. H. Lawton. Bybee and Terry. F. M. Kinsey.. 
T, C. Fitzgerald. E. D. Haggard. Ross, father and sons. 
James Wade. M. Mesick. Edward Madison. A. J. Massen- 
gill. A. Walty. W. W. Pond. J. Hendrickson. Bidwell,. 
Bro. &Co. D. W. Huddleston. A. S. and N. F. Newman. 
W. E. Odell. Machenheimer and Lawrence. J. A. Currens.. 
J. G. Follin, M. D. M. D. Gillis. R. H. Ellis. Mrs. Wright. 
Belknap premises and occupants. Sam'l Ralston. James 
Stone. H. A. Markley. Mrs. E. S. Haines. S. K. Gaylord.. 
Mrs. Taylor. Widup and Bro. J. W. Shaffer. J. S. Carroll. 
Wade and Bro. John McGrew, M. D. Newell Sapp, M. D.. 
Various lumber dealers. T. J. Farley. C. H. Dodd. J. H. 
Graham. J. W. Johnson. T. W. Monk. R. Morrison. 
Business summary. Rail Road and other business. Page 128 



Chapter XIII. — Temperance Crusade, Barbecue, Moral suasion.. 
Physical suasion. Wing vs. the Irish woman. Citizens vs. 
Claiborn Wilson. The Ladies vs. Tom Braanan. Legal 
suasion — Cuyler vs. Bell. Sons of Temperance. Good Tem- 
plars. Masons. Eastern Star. Population of Plymouth. 
Biographical sketches. Mathew Melton. John Trammel.. 
Allen Melton. Brummel Sapp. David Manlove. J. W. 
Crockett. Col. Clark. L. A. Cook. Benj, Terrell. A good 
place in which to grow old. .... Page 15S 



Chapter XIV. — Church history. M. E. Church. Congrega- 
tional Church. Presbyterian Church. Church of the Dis- 
ciples. Baptist Church. United Brethren. Sunday Schools. 
Statistics of churches and Sunday schools. . Page 193. 



Vlll. CONTENTS. 

Chapter XV. — Patriotism of Round Prairie. Survivors of the- 
war of 1812-15. Francis Kington. Edward Wade. R. T. 
Madison. Black Hawk and Texan wars — Major J. F. Garrett. 
Mormon war. Mexican war. The Rebellion. — List of soldiers 
from this vicinity in the Twelfth, Fourteenth, Sixteenth,. 
Twenty-Eighth, Thirty-Fourth, Forty-Seventh, Fifty-Seventh, 
Fifty-Eighth, Sixty-Second, Seventy-First, Seventy-Second, 
Seventy-eighth, Eighty-Eighth, One Hundred and Eighteenth,^ 
One Hundred and Nineteenth, One Hundred and Twenty- 
Fourth, One Hundred and Forty-Eighth, and One Hundred 
and Fifty-First regiments of HI. Vol., Second HI. Artillery Co. 
H. Seventh Mo. Cavalry. Tenth Mo. Infantry. A list of 
those whose regiments are not designated. A list of present 
residents enlisted elsewhere. Recruiting extraordinary — an 
episode Page 2I2- 



Chapter XVI. — Birmingham. Location. Town Plat. Mill 
enterprise. First house. First school. An incident. Sunday 
school. Methodist church. Revival of 1874. Presbyterian 
church. Business record. Professional. The notorious A.- 
D. Regions beyond. Gin Ridge. Nubbin Ridge. Maple 
sugar. Bridges. Accidents. Future prospects. Railroads. 
. . . Page 233; 



Chapter XVII. — Underground Rail Road. Lovejoy and 
Thompson. Through by daylight. Ginger's story. A col- 
lision, train robbing. A fortunate blunder. Lost. Stepping 
down and out. Going to market. Discovery — a narrow 
escape. Big haul — worthless negro captured. True manhood, 
A lively load and lively time. A pair of photographs. A 
grand rally and hunt. An interesting side scene. — The 
sequel . Page 24&' 



^ HISTORY 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 



CHAPTER I. 

Only about forty-five years have passed 
since the first settlements are known to 
have been made within the bounds of 
Round Prairie. This brief period, however, 
exceeds the average lifetime of a genera- 
tion ; and as we inquire for this and that 
one of the first settlers, the answer comes 
back that they have gone to that other 
country from which there is no return. 

Having little time for literary pursuits 
amid the struggles for the necessaries and 
comforts of life, the few whose tastes and 
training may have fitted them for it, have 
left us no record of their experience in lay- 
ing the foundations of the physical and 
social structure we now enjoy. But few of 
the first settlers remain ; and of these, all 
who were then old enough to take an active 



lo A History of 

part in the work of subduing nature and 
building up society, are now on the down- 
hill of life — many of them so far down 
towards the end of their journey, that their 
white locks and feeble limbs admonish us 
to write soon, if we would do it from their 
lips, the story they have to tell of what 
they have done and endured for us and 
our children. 

To this little band of pioneers who began 
to make Round Prairie the fruitful field we 
now see, and who laid the foundations of the 
business enterprises, schools, churches, etc., 
that are established in our midst, we owe a 
lasting debt of gratitude. The least we can 
do in discharging this debt, is to cherish 
their memory, make a record of their deeds, 
engrave this record in the enduring mate- 
rial of the printer's art, and hand it down to 
children's children. We may do this with 
the firm assurance that the value of the 
record will greatly increase as succeeding 
generations come upon the stage. The 
historian who attempts to write of passing- 
events, or close upon the time of past 
events, has peculiar difficulties to encoun- 
ter. Like the soldier on the battle-field, 
he is so enveloped in the dust and smoke 
of the strife as to be poorly fitted to judge 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 1 

of the progress of the battle, or of its influ- 
ence upon the cause for which the battle is 
fought. 

Faithful history is not merely a record of 
passing events, however important these 
may be. Such events serve rather as a 
frame-work or skeleton upon which history 
is elaborated. If you would find the sources 
of life and power in true history, look into 
the motives that led to the act, then to the 
results growing out of it. These are the 
moulding influences that impress them- 
selves upon future generations. There is 
a philosophy in history, and its principles 
are the same, whether applied to the birth 
and growth of a great nation like the 
United States, or to a little community 
like Round Prairie. 

The principles and motives that led our 
Pilgrim Fathers to Plymouth Rock 250 
years ago have impressed this nation no 
less surely than the principles and motives 
that led our pioneers to this Prairie 45 
years ago have impressed themselves upon 
this community. By an inexorable law 
of nature the character of the parent is 
stamped upon the child. This is true of 
the community as well as of the family. 
As previously intimated, we are not yet in 



12 A History of 

a position to apply these g^eneral principles 
to the work before us; this part of the work 
must be left for those who can trace the 
results of the acts we record in the clearer 
light of the future. 

We state briefly, for the benefit of young 
philosophers, certain results that may be 
expected from certain conditions in the 
formation of character, either in the family 
or community. 

If parents are wise, and united in coun- 
sels and training, the child may be expected 
to grow up a useful member of society; if 
otherwise, evils greater or less, may be ex- 
pected. In mixed communities, made up 
of people from various sections, and trained 
under different influences, conflicting cur- 
rents will be found, that to some extent 
neutralize each other, lowering the tone 
and diminishing the power of the whole. 
The result is seen in a comparatively low 
standard of public improvement in almost 
everything which affects the physical, social, 
mental and moral welfare of the commun- 
ity- 

Find a homogeneous community and you 
will find the currents of influence broad, 
strong and deep, whatever may be the char- 
acter of those currents. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 3 

With these remarks on its philosophy, we 
turn to the consideration of the facts of his- 
tory as furnished by the subject in hand. 



C H A P 1' E R II. 

It would be interesting and profitable, 
also, to take a rapid glance into the brief 
records left by such men as Marquette, Jo- 
liet, La Salle, Hennepin and others, who 
were amoncr the first white men who are 
known to have explored the region of which 
our locality and state forms a part ; but the 
story would be too long — nor does it belong 
here. Our work is local, not general his- 
tory. 

Some of these old French explorers 
might have paddled their canoes up Crook- 
ed Creek from Beardstown to Birmingham 
and Lamoine, at some seasons of the year, 
just as easily, and a great deal quicker than 
to La Salle and Joliet, and immortalized 
their names just as effectually by leaving 
them within the boundaries of our beautiful 
Round Prairie, as upon the banks of the 
Illinois. 

Crooked Creek, with its margin of timber, 



14 A History of 

forms the eastern and most of the northern 
boundary of Round Prairie. 

Of the origin of the name of this creek 
we have obtained no certain knowledge. 
Our oldest settlers found it so named when 
they came, by other older settlers at other 
points upon its banks. We might guess — - 
near the mark, undoubtedly — that some 
one named it upon the bible principle of 
applying a name significant of the thing. 
The fitness of the name, I think, has never 
been questioned — nor is it likely to be 
until Crooked Creek straiohtens itself out. 

The funny fellows who did Uncle Sam's 
surveying hereabouts — Frenchmen, per- 
haps — possibly descendants of old Mar- 
quette himself (though, on second thought, 
that seems improbable, as Marquette was a 
Catholic priest, and they cannot marry, or 
could not in those times, and consequently 
do not have descendants) — well, no matter 
who they were, they determined to dignify 
Crooked Creek as a river, and called it 
Lamine, or Lamoin — a French word mean- 
ing The Monk. If they intended to insinu- 
ate by this name, that the ways of the 
monks are as devious and crooked as the 
stream to which they applied the name^ 



Round Prairie and Plyinoitth. 1 5 

they were pretty hard on this well-abused 
Catholic order. 

In the original field notes of the United 
States survey for McDonnough County, 
Crooked Creek appears as Lamine River ; 
the name, however, would not stick — it 
was too large, or the stream too small ; it 
got loose, became detached from the stream, 
and finally fastened upon township 4 N. 4 
W., leaving Crooked Creek to flow quietly 
down its tortuous channel through Lamoin 
township, driving Lamoin Mill on its way 
to the Illinois river. 

A considerable tributary of Crooked 
Creek, known as Bronsons Creek, com- 
pletes the northern boundary of Round 
Prairie ; a small tributary of this, with its 
margin of timber, bounds it upon the west. 

Bronson's Creek has taken its name from 
that of the first white settler upon its banks, 
Thomas Bronson. 

The creek upon our south, with its flowery 
banks, woody slopes, quarries of rock^ pre- 
cipitous bluffs, and probable deposits of 
coal, has much about it both of beauty and 
of utility. Romantic young people delight 
often to ramble upon the banks of beauti- 
ful streams with beautiful names, gathering 



1 6 A History of 

the pretty, colored pebbles, or wild spring 
flowers ; and said creek, no doubt, is a good 
place for the prosecution of such laudable 
enterprises. While thus engaged, a knowl- 
edge of the origin of its name may remind 
romantic people of the important fact that 
romance and reality may be quite as near 
to each other as the sublime and ridiculous 
are said to be. 

In the summer of 1832 Mr. Edward Wade 
" made a crop " on the north edge of the 
Augusta prairie near the creek, on an " im- 
provement " then held by one Dr. Allen. 
On leaving the cabin he occupied tempora- 
rily there, for the purpose of putting up a 
■cabin upon his own claim on the neck of 
prairie toward Birmingham, the safety of his 
stock of supplies of bacon, flour, etc., during 
liis absence became a matter of consultation 
between himself and the said Dr. Allen. 
The Doctor thought it unsafe to leave 
them in the cabin, and advised him to bring 
them to his house, which was done ; but on 
Mr. Wade's return, much to his surprise, he 
found the storage arranoement had bene 
fited the Doctor much more than himself, 
as the Doctor had appropriated largely of 
the flour to supply his own wants. This 
incident concerning Mr. Wade's flo2Lr, the 



Round Prairie and Plymonth. i 7 

neiofhbors determined to commemorate in 
the name of the creek — so it came to be 
F-l-o-u-r Creek. 

Although the name bid fair to stick with- 
out re-pasting, some time later (in the spring 
of 1834), Mr. Pruit and Mr. Box, of St. Ma- 
ry's, were returning from the Brooklyn Mill, 
with their grists, one Sunday evening, when 
the "creek was up," crossing at the ford 
south of Plymouth, with their ox team, a 
large and well-filled sack oi flonr was swept 
out of their wagon by the deep and rapid 
stream, and supposed to be lost ; but on the 
Wednesday following, it was fished out, well 
preserved and in good order, except a thin 
crust next the sack, — ^so saith the "oldest 
inhabitant," Mr. Allen Melton. Thus hap- 
pened the second christening of Flour 
Creek. 

Between the creeks of which we have 
spoken, lies Round Prairie, its general form 
corresponding quite nearly to its name — 
((leaving off the narrow neck jutting out to- 
wards Birmingham.) 

The average diameter of the prairie will 
not vary much from three miles. 

Of the wild, native beauty of this locality, 
we may gather some idea by remembering 
that its gently undulating surface was swept 



1 8 A History of 

clean by the annual prairie fires, only to be 
reclothed with a rich carpet of grass pro- 
fusely ornamented with the greatest variety 
and abundance of prairie flowers. The pic- 
ture presented by this scene is spoken of by 
early settlers as one of surpassing beauty. 
The frame-work of this picture — the mar- 
Qfin of timber surrounding it — ^was not a 
tangled mat of undergrowth amid the trees, 
inaccessible, almost, to man or beast, as we 
now fmd it in many places — but a clear^ 
open growth of timber, through which one 
might travel unobstructed in any direction. 
This freedom from undergrowth was due to 
the same agency that renovated the surface 
of the prairie — the prairie tires. 

If the Indian tribes who preceded the 
whites in the occupation of this region did 
not appreciate the beauty of the locality^ 
they appreciated its utility in furnishing an 
abundance of game to supply their wants. 
The Indians had left before any permanent 
white settlement had been made in Round 
Prairie ; but the first settlers found three 
recently vacated Indian camps- — the num- 
ber of wigwams indicating a considerable 
colony in each. One of these was near Bir- 
mingham, another at Lamoin Mill, and the 
third at Cedar Bluffs, north of Plymouth, 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 19 

The wigwams did not remain long, the prai- 
rie fires soon swept away every vestige of 
these cities of the living, Birmingham has 
furnished a more enduring monument of 
Indian occupation in her city of their dead. 
Remains of an Indian burying ground, be- 
yond Birmingham — near the road leading 
to Brooklyn — are thought to be visible 
still. In 1847-8, two medical students, 
Drs. Sapp and Patterson, in searching some 
of these mounds for bones to illustrate their 
anatomical studies, found such quantities of 
them as to suggest the possibility that that 
locality may have been the bloody battle- 
ground of hostile Indian tribes. But we 
tread here upon uncertain historical ground 
— let us look for more definite records. 

In 18 19 the United States surveyors 
struck their temporary camps, leaving their 
"stakes and mounds" in the prairie, and 
their " witness trees " in the timber, as the 
only evidences that were to be perpetuated 
of the civilized occupation of Round Prairie 
until its permanent settlement in 1831-2. 

We get an introduction to our notorious 
fellow citizens of the Mormon persuasion 
about the time Round Prairie was settled. 
We shall make their acquaintance more 
fully about a dozen years later in our rec- 



20 A History -of 

ord. We have only to say of them now, 
that the emigration of the Mormon commu- 
nity from Ohio to Missouri passed through 
the lower part of Round Prairie, leaving a 
well-marked and beaten road, traveled by 
hundreds of teams, and that continued to 
be used for years afterwards. This high- 
way — the first made on Round Prairie — 
was known as the Mormon Trail. It 
crossed the Illinois river near the mouth 
of Spoon river. Crooked Creek just above 
Birmingham, and Flour Creek south of Mr. 
Fielding's present residence, thence along 
the north side of the Augusta prairie, cross- 
ing the Mississippi river at Ouincy. 



CHAPTER III. 

Following the county line, as marked by 
the United States surveyors, from the pres- 
ent site of Pulaski, where they had been put 
•on track of it, Mr. Matthew Melton, his son 
Allen, and son-in-law John Trammel, reached 
the corner between Schuyler, and McDon- 
nough counties, at the S. E. of Sec. 36, on 
which Plymouth now stands, in August, 
1 83 1, and proceeded at once to the rise of 



Round Prairie a7id Plymouth. 2 r 

ground on which Plymouth is built, and 
staked their claims as follows : Matthew 
Melton the S. W., John Trammel the N. W., 
and Allen Melton the N. E. quarter of the 
section. They then returned to Morgan 
County, 111. (their home at that time), and 
in September returned with a team, tools, 
etc., and built a cabin on Matthew Melton's 
claim, south of town, just north of the town- 
ship line, near where Mr. Cooper now lives, 
A little patch of ground was plowed near 
the cabin and planted with shellotts — a 
species of onion — and with peach seeds;, 
thus was opened up the first "improvement" 
on Round Prairie:'^" this, however, was not 
permanently occupied until a year later. 

It was intended by the parties, to move 
their families at once to the cabin they had 
just built, but after returning to Morgan 
county for this purpose, rains set in, raising 
the creeks so that the journey became im- 
practicable. 

When this party came up in September,. 
1 83 1, to make their improvement, Mr. Mat- 
thew Melton brought his daughter Marissa, 

* Christopher E. Yates claims to have come to Round Prai- 
rie in 1829 with a view to locating here, and to have digged a 
well and commenced the building of a cabin on what is now Mrs. 
Holton's place ; but finding that he was upon " Patent " land, 
instead of that open to pre-emption, he abandoned the location 
and settled near the place now occupied by the town of Augusta. 



2 2 A History of 

— who was soon afterwards married to Mr. 
Ezekiel Boman — as cook and company for 
the party — the first zvhitc woman known 
to have visited Round Prairie with a view 
to settlement here. 

The winter following, Mr. Brommel Sapp 
and Mr. David Manlove came into Birming- 
ham township, made claims and commenced 
improving them. Mr. Sapp built upon the 
place occupied by himself until his death, 
and now occupied by his son S. Riley Sapp. 
Mr. Manlove built upon the place now 
known as the Hippie farm. In April, 1832, 
Mr. Sapp moved his family from Rushville, 
where they had wintered, to their new home, 
the first fiamily permanently located within 
the boundaries of Round Prairie. They 
were followed, within about two weeks, by 
the family of Mr. Manlove. 

The MeltoTt party, who made the first 
improvements in the fall of '31, were origin- 
ally from Tennessee, Morgan county having 
been their home for about two years previ- 
ous to their settlement here. The Sapp and 
Manlove party were from North Carolina. 

These pioneers found this a land fiowijig 
with ho7iey, ready at hand on their arrival. 
The Melton party, while hunting for a 
"board tree," on Flour Creek, near where 



Round Prai7'ie and PlymoiitJi. 23 

the railroad now crosses, found half-a-dozen 
dee-trees near together, whose sweet stores 
were speedily " confiscated," and a barrel of 
the spoils carried back with them to Mor- 
gan county. The Sapp and Manlove party 
found similar stores awaiting them. On 
one of their occasional visits to their fami- 
lies in Rushville, during the winter they 
were building their cabins, Mr. Sapp deter- 
mined to treat his family with some of the 
sweet supplies his chosen home afforded, 
and for want of better facilities, some of the 
choicest honey-comb was carefully stowed 
into a sack and laid across his horse ; and 
althouofh as much care was o-iven to its safe 
transportation as modern express companies 
are wont to bestow upon frail goods, the 
package became sadly demoralized, and a 
considerable portion of the contents spread 
upon the sides of the horse and pantaloons 
of the rider : the effort, however, proved a 
partial success, as a portion was carried 
safely through to its destination. 

In the spring of 1832, another little party 
of Tennesseeans arrived. Mr. William Ed- 
wards, finding the Melton cabin unoccupied, 
took temporary possession of It with his 
family, and then made a claim and began to 
improve the present Swicegood place, build- 



24 A History of 

ing near the timber, south of the present 
residence. 

Mr, Edward Wade, as we have already 
stated in connection with the history of 
Flour Creek, located temporarily on the 
Augusta Prairie, and in the fall permanently 
upon his claim near James G. King's present 
residence. In company with these two, Mr, 
Samuel Haggard and his son-in-law George 
Saddler came as far as the old Fonda place, 
east of Augusta, where they remained per- 
haps two or three years, and then removed,, 
the former to the place occupied by him 
until his death, and now owned by his son- 
in-law, Barney Eidson — the latter. Saddler, 
to the Lawrence place. 

During the season, two other families set- 
tled in Round Prairie, east of the " Round 
Top " school house. Wm. Emerick on the 
Bodenhamer Manlove place, and Thomas 
Ratliffe on the Griffith place. In October, 
'32, the Melton party returned to occupy 
their claims, and with them Mr. Ezekiel Bo- 
man, who had married Miss Marissa Melton 
since her visit to Round Prairie the year 
previous. As soon as practicable, cabins 
were put up on the Trammel claim, now the 
Madison place, and on Boman's, occupied by 
him until his death, and now by Elias Wade, 



Round Prairie and PlyntotUh. 25 

In 1833, material additions were made to 
the population of Round Prairie. The fol- 
lowing list is supposed to be nearly, if not 
quite, full and correct, of the families who 
came that year, and of their location at that 
time ; but the order of their arrival, as to 
time, cannot be given : 

Mr. Manlove Wheeler located on what is 
now N. F. Burton's place. Henry Wheeler 
where Mr. Whipple now is. Paris Wheeler 
where James G. King now is. Wm. Pickett 
on the David Smith place. Jonathan Tharp 
on the Fielding place. James Edwards 
where B. F. Edwards now is. Isaac Pidgeon 
where the Hall brothers now are. Solomon 
Stanley on the L. A. Cook place. James 
Clark on the Thomas Talbot place. Jesse 
Buzan on the William Edwards place. Dr. 
Blackburn on the east half of the same 
quarter. John Poole where Dr. King now 
is. Able Friend where Mr. Klepper now is, 
and Orville Sherrill where L. G. Reid now is. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Following nearly the chronological order 
of events, with important or interesting inci- 
dents, as well as with historical items, this 
3 



26 A History of 

may be as suitable a place as any in which 
ito introduce some big snake stories. 

One bright spring day in 1833, Mr. Eze- 
ikiel Boman, who but a short time before 
had become the happy father of his first- 
born child — now Mrs. Walty — started out 
with his infant in his arms, for a walk. Led, 
perhaps, by that intuitive love for nature in 
her wilder forms, so common in the human 
breast, he found himself presently at Cedar 
Bluff. Here his wandering steps were sud- 
denly arrested by an ominous rattle and 
coiled form, that man never meets unex- 
pectedly without being startled. 

Unarmed for fight, his first impulse was 
to seek a place of temporary safety for his 
precious luggage, and then a weapon, of 
stick or stone, for the attack, but as he 
turned, another met his gaze, and then an- 
other, and another. In fact, he could see 
snakes all around him, without the aid now 
required, of numerous glasses — of st7ych- 
nine zvhisky. Picking his way cautiously 
out of the enemy's encampment, the attack 
was deferred until reinforcements could be 
brought up. Returning with two of his 
brothers-in-law, Allen and Henry Melton, 
the slaughter began. The enemy proved 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 27 

to be strongly intrenched within the rocky 
ledge ; their " den " was inaccessible ; but by 
frequent raids during that season and part 
■of the next, surprising and killing them as 
they ventured out of the den, over 600 rat- 
tlesnakes were killed by these parties at that 
locality. 

Near the same time, Mr. Bromel Sapp 
and Mr. David Manlove, while out one af- 
ternoon, came upon a similar den in a ravine 
north of Manlove's place — now the Hippie 
farm — and in a single attack, 350 of the 
reptiles were slaughtered. 

These and other parties repeated the at- 
tacks upon that stronghold at various times, 
until, as the " oldest inhabitant " (A. Mel- 
ton) affirms, over 1,100 snakes had been 
killed. 

During one of these attacks, an incident 
occurred that would have furnished a fine 
subject for Nast's pencil, if he had been on 
the field at that time. In removing: some 
of the rocks under which the snakes were 
concealed, a rail was used as a lever. Upon 
the end of this, projecting to the edge of the 
steep bluff, was perched the long, lank form 
of Mr. Bromel Sapp. Swaying upon the 
rail with all his force, in order to raise the 



28 A History of 

rock, he underestimated his own weight, or 
overestimated the strength of the rail — it 
broke, and down he went, headlong, over 
and over, to the bottom of the bluff, among 
the hundreds of lifeless bodies of his slaugh- 
tered foes. And that was how the snakes 
ofot him. 

A coincidence is worth noticing here that 
may throw some light upon the subject of 
Indian customs. We have spoken of one 
of the Indian settlements in our vicinity 
being at Birmingham. To be more exact 
in its location — -instead of being on the 
site of the village, it was a little above, at 
the point where the ravine enters Crooked 
Creek, and near the location of the great 
snake den just mentioned. Another of the 
Indian villages, it will be remembered, was 
located at the Cedar Bluff snake den. The 
only remarks we venture upon this coinci- 
dence are, that " somebody" says that rattle- 
snake meat is a choice luxury to the palate 
of the Indian epicure — and further, that, if 
this be true (we do not vouch for it), these 
villages were located with a nice discrimina- 
tion as to convenience to a good supply of 
one of the luxuries of Indian life. We drop 
the farther consideration of these incidents- 
with pleasure — glad to escape the thought 



Round Prairie and PlymontJi. 29 

of what might have been, had those I'/oo 
rattlesnakes been allowed to live and propa- 
gate, through all these forty years, in such a 
limited territory as Round Prairie. 



CHAPTER V. 

It might not be expedient to turn the 
thread of our historical narrative too ab- 
ruptly into another channel ; and as we 
have noticed a successful onslaught upon 
the beastly representatives of satan's power, 
we turn now to notice the first organized 
attack, within our bounds, upon his spiritual 
kingdom in the hearts of men. This battle, 
as yet, seems less decisive, but its successful 
result is fully assured. 

Here, as almost everywhere, our Method- 
ist brethren were found at the front — their 
picket line clos« upon the footsteps of the 
first settlers. The first preaching service 
known to have been held on Round Prairie, 
was at the house of Mr. Wm, Edwards, on 
the farm now owned by Frank Swicegood — 
the buildinof then standino- in the eda-e of 
the timber, nearly south of the present resi- 
dence. The preacher was Rev. Henry 
Somers, of the Rushville Circuit, whose 



30 A History of 

nearest appointments, at that time, were 
at Mr. C. Oliver's, at Pulaski, and at Mr. 

Archer's, at Middletown. 

This was near the close of the conference 
year, in the fall of 1833. Soon after, a class, 
was formed at the same place, consisting of 
Mr. Wm. Edwards and his wife, Mr, Edward! 
Wade and his wife, and a Mr. Phillips and 
wife. During the conference year of '33 and 
'34, this class was supplied with preaching 
every two weeks by Rev. Peter Boring. Mr. 
Edward Wade was appointed class-leader. 
It is thought that no record exists of the 
earlier additions to this class. Mr, Wade 
and his wife still live — active members of 
the M. E. Church in Plymouth. 

While there was occasional preaching 
within the bounds of the prairie, by the 
Baptists, and perhaps some others, no regu- 
lar preaching was maintained by other de- 
nominations until the fall of 1835. In the 
spring of 1835 the Sunday school work in 
Round Prairie commenced in the house, and 
by the family, of Mr. Samuel King, at the 
place now occupied by his son James G. 
King. Soon after the opening of this 
school, its working force was strengthened 
by the addition of the family of Mr. Robert 
Hall. Later in the season this school was. 



Roimd Prairie and Plymouth. 3 1 

moved from Mr, King's house to a black- 
smith's shop on the place of Mr. Manlove 
Wheeler, now owned by Mr. N. F. Burton — 
the shop standing in the grove near the 
present residence. The school continued 
at that place during the summer and early 
fall. Whatever this primitive Sunday 
school may have lacked in modern appli- 
ances and model methods, a single incident 
may be introduced here to show that it did 
not suffer, as do so many of our moderrti 
ones, from lack of zeal and earnestness ia 
attendance upon its sessions. 

Those who are familiar with the ground 
about Mr. Burton's grove know that a con- 
siderable ravine runs upon the south and 
southeast sides, and also one upon the north 
and northeast sides, and that after heavy 
rains streams of sufficient size are found in^ 
them to have proved a serious obstacle to 
foot travelers at a time when bridges had 
not yet been built. Under just such cir- 
cumstances as we have stated, our friend 
James G. King, in company with his sisters, 
and other lady friends, approached the place 
of meeting, one day, only to find the ravine 
utterly impracticable for the ladies to cross. 
But the " Colonel " had set out to escort his 
company to Sunday school and was not to 



32 A History of 

be foiled ; his strategy was equal to the 
emergency. Throwing off his boots, and 
rolling up his pantaloons, he took the ladies 
in his arms, one by one, and carried them 
safely over the stream. Forty years of ser- 
vice, since that day, in the Sunday school 
work, has but little, if any, abated his zeal 
in the cause. We may add, as a sequel to 
to the above incident, that one of the ladies 
the " Col." carried over the stream, clings to 
him still, as they journey on, helping each 
•other over the hard places, and enjoying to- 
gether the smoother ones across the chang- 
ingr stream of time. 

We pause here a moment, in this account 
<of the religious history of Round Prairie, to 
notice an event or two that have had an im- 
portant bearing upon our history. 

During the summer of 1835, ^^^^ govern- 
iment land sales occurred, resulting in many 
'Changes and in considerable additions to 
the population of the neighborhood. A 
number of those who came earlier, and 
■occupied their premises by pre-emption, 
were without means to pay the amount 
demanded by the government for their 
lands, and were orlad to sell their " claims " 
and " improvements," and obtain in this way 
the means to " enter" a new lot upon which 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. ^iZ 

to build up a new home. Among the new 
arrivals durino- the fall of this season were 
several families from New England, forming 
the nucleus of a society distinct from that 
already here. These New England families 
were scarcely settled in their new locations 
until they began to cast about for the estab- 
lishment of religious services of their own 
preference, and in October, Rev. William 
Kirby, of Mendon, commenced an engage- 
ment to supply them with preaching once a 
month for one year. For three months 
these services were held, sometimes at the 
house of Mr. Burton, and sometimes at the 
house of Mr. Terrell, who had bought out 
and now occupied the Melton claim, south 
of Plymouth. About the close of the year, 
an addition to the cabin occupied by Capt. 
Norman Hart, on the west side of Squire 
Burton's place, had been completed, making 
it the most commodious building in the 
neighborhood for meetings, and to it they 
were transferred and continued for a con- 
siderable time. At this place — now Mr, 
Edward Whipple's — a few rods south of 
the present residence, the " Congregational 
CInirch of Rotcnd Prairie''' w2iS organized, 
January 6th, 1836, comprising the following 
members : viz.. Mr. Nathan Burton and his 



34 A History of 

wife Sarah F., with their children Nathan F., 
Rebecca B., Daniel W., and Nancy A.; Mr 
David Adkins and his wife Asenath ; Mr. 
Benjamin Terrell and his wife Electa, with 
their daughters Maria and Mary M.; Mr- 
Samuel Kasson and his wife Almira ; Mr. 
Lamarcus A. Cook and his wife Marietta — 
received by letter, — sixteen; Mr. Henry F, 
Burton, Charles Terrell, A. C. Adkins, Nor- 
man Hart, Miss Martha Cook, Rosetta Cook, 
and Lydia B. Adkins — received upon pro- 
fession of their faith, — seven. Total origi- 
nal membership, twenty-three. Of these, 
fourteen are still living, June, 1875; eight 
of them still resident members, and have 
been so continuously, or nearly so, from the 
organization of the church. A ninth has re- 
cently become a resident again, but has not 
resumed membership. Of the surviving 
absent ones, we may note, that Mr. Daniel 
W. Burton is now, and for some years past 
has been, in Africa as a missionary of the 
American Missionary Association. Mrs. Rev. 
George Thompson (Martha Cook) was with 
her husband for several years in the same 
field — was driven from it by ill health, and is 
now in a Home Missionary field in northern 
Michigan. Mr. Norman Hart resides near 
Fort Dodge, Iowa; Charles Terrell, M. D.,. 



Round Prairie a7id Plymouth. 35 

West Geneva, Michigan ; Mrs. Lydia B, 
Wilson (Adkins), in Cambridge, Henry Co., 
Illinois. Mrs. Mary M. Reynard (Terrell) 
has recently returned to Plymouth. She,, 
with her husband. Rev. John Reynard, de- 
ceased — a Presbyterian clergyman — were 
for many years residents of Shullsburg, Wis.. 
After her husband's death she resided for a 
time with her family in Dixon, Illinois, and 
now again has taken up her abode amid the 
scenes of her earlier western life. 



CHAPTER VI. 

We arrest temporarily the chronological 
order of our narrative, that we may go back 
and pick up some threads of our story that 
need to be woven in somewhere, and as well 
here, perhaps, as elsewhere. The " Bread 
and Butter" question is always one of great 
practical importance. In its application to- 
our early settlers, perhaps it might be stated 
with more literal accuracy as the " Hog audi 
Hominy" question. 

Those who came first, in 183 1-2, from 
Morgan County, and from Rushville, brought 
temporary supplies with them, of flour, ba- 
con, etc., and found here at hand, to be had 



2,6 A History of 

for even moderate skill In huntinor, ofame in 
variety and great abundance ; and also, as 
we have stated before, abundant supplies of 
honey. 

Rushville, Beardstown and Ouincy were 
the nearest points at which the supplies of 
" breadstuffs " and "store goods" could be 
replenished. The necessary trips in obtain- 
ing these supplies were often made under 
great difficult}^ on account of bad roads and 
lack of bridges. The construction of a rude 
"corn cracker" at Brooklyn in 1832, in con- 
nection with a saw-mill, contributed some- 
what to the solution of the hominy question. 
Hand-mills were made and used in the man- 
ufacture of flour and meal, that in construc- 
tion and results would have done credit to 
Bible lands and Bible times of two to three 
thousand years ago. The remnants of one 
of these mills may still be seen on the prem- 
ises of Mr. N. F. Burton, and possibly at 
other places in the neighborhood. Our 
young Bible students might get from this, 
with a little explanation, a very fair idea of 
the machine alluded to, in the following 
passage, and others : " Two women shall 
be ofrindino- at the mill: the one shall be 
taken, and the other left." — Mat. xxiv. 41. 

Milling facilities were materially improved 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 3 j 

in 1834 by the introduction of a pair of 
burrs and a bolt into the mill at Brooklyn, 
by means of which a fair article of flour 
could be produced when there was sufficient 
water to drive the rude machinery ; but this 
element of power was an uncertain quantity 
then, as now, 

A still further advance was made in 1835 
-'36, in the erection of the mill at Birming- 
ham, by Messrs. Graham and Wilson. 

Pages might be filled with incidents of 
hardship and privations, if not of actual suf- 
fering, during the first few years of our his- 
tory, but it is not our purpose to spread out 
such details. Game, if plenty outside, was 
not always so inside the dwelling; and some 
of our ladies can tell, with earnest feeling, 
how thankful they were to have even a dish 
of " mush " to set before their families and 
such guests as might be present to share 
their hospitalities. And others can tell of 
living for days upon beans freshly gathered 
from the field and cooked with such meal as 
could be sifted out from wheat bran, while 
the head of the household was away to ob- 
tain addicional supplies. Such pictures are 
not cheerful enough to promote digestion 
as we sit around our well-filled tables, and 
we turn from them, to say that the question 



38 A History of 

of " store oroods " at that time was one of far 
less practical importance than the " hominy" 
question. 

Store hair, patent humps, false complex- 
ions (or the means to make them so), and 
numberless and nameless other traps and 
appliances that go to make up the modern 
lady, and are furnished to order by the 
modern merchant, were not greatly in 
demand at the time of which we write. 
Thrifty mothers and daughters were well 
-clad in warm flannels and stout linseys of 
their own make, while fathers and brothers 
rejoiced in substantial homespun of the 
same manufacture. Stores at the distance 
of thirty or forty miles from one's home, 
undoubtedly has a tendency to simplify 
one's wants. 

Our first settlers could hardly be classed 
as a literary people, and had they been, their 
taste in that line would have been gratified 
only under difficulties. Until May. 1834, 
Rushville was the nearest post office, and 
as most of our settlers at that time had 
come by way of Rushville, they naturally 
gravitated that way for such facilities as 
surrounding- towns afforded. At the date 
just named, a post office was established in 
Augusta. This brought communication 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 39 

with distant friends and the outside world 
generally, quite within convenient reach. 

Of schools, in these early times of our his- 
tory, there is little to be said. Foundations 
were laid, however, upon which a goodly 
structure has grown up, of which we now 
■enjoy the benefits. There being but little 
public funds from which to draw in their 
support, schools could only be maintained by 
" subscription.'' Such a school was " kept]' or 
*' taught'' — which is the proper word to use 
in this case, we have been unable to learn — 
by Mr. James A. Bell, of North Carolina, in 
the fall of 1834. The cabin used as a school 
house had been built for a residence, and 
vacated by the death of its occupant, Mr. 
Wm. Manlove. It stood perhaps a quarter 
of a mile north, and a little east, of the edi- 
fice usually, but very inappropriately, called 
" The Round Top." After being used one 
term in this location, it was taken down and 
moved to the west side of the grove, north- 
west from and near the residence of Mr. 
Solomon Twidwell. Here it did service for 
the public some years as a school house, a 
place for Sunday schools, and occasionally 
for other religious services. 



40 A History of 



CHAPTER VII. 

We have now reached a point in our his- 
tory that marks a new departure. So far 
no center had been fixed upon, around 
which the present and future business of 
the neighborhood, with its public, reHgious, 
literary, or other institutions, should event- 
ually crystallize. 

Such a center was established January 
I2th — 19th, 1836, by the survey and staking 
out of the town of Plymouth in the center 
of section 36, township 4 N., 5 W., James 
Brattle, surveyor. 

Other similar enterprises had begun to 
incubate in fertile brains, for other localities 
within our bounds, one of which we shall 
find coming to the surface presently, but the 
site chosen for Plymouth fairly got the start 
and won the race. 

The proprietors of the town were John 
W. Crocket, James Clark, Benjamin Terrell 
and Lamarcus A. Cook. The two latter 
were from Plymouth, Connecticut, hence the 
name of our town. Clark and Crocket were 
from Kentucky — the latter a near relative 
of Colonel David Crocket, noted as a hero 
in the Texan war of independence, and 



Rotmd Prairie and PlytnoiLth. 41 

whose great exploits as a hunter have been 
spread far and wide through the pages of 
a comic almanac bearing his name. The 
parties named above had succeeded to the 
ownership of their various premises, the 
original pre-emptors, as follows : viz., J. W. 
Crocket succeeded Allen Melton in the 
ownership of the N. E. quarter of the sec- 
tion ; James Clark succeeded John Trammel 
in that of the N. W. quarter ; Benjamin Ter- 
rell, in the claim of Matthew Melton to the 
S. W. quarter, and L. A. Cook to that of 
Solomon Stanley to the S. E. quarter. 
From each of these premises twelve acres 
and a half were set apart — fifty acres in all 
— for the town plat, and was laid out into 
lots, with the necessary streets, etc. The 
location was a good one, occupying a fine 
ridge of land, marred only by its proximity 
to an unsightly frog-pond in the locality 
now occupied by the depot, which remained 
until it was drained by the building of the 
railroad. Lots were sold and the work of 
building up a town commenced at once. 
Sevier Tadlock led off in the building 
enterprise by the erection of a house on 
the west side of block 10, lot 6, corner of 
Franklin street and Public Square — the lot 
now occupied by M. D. Gillis. 
4 



42 A History of 

This building was ready for use in the 
spring of 1836, and answered the triple pur- 
pose of dwelling, hotel and store. Benjamin 
Whittaker had anticipated the completion 
of the store room somewhat, and brought a 
stock of goods that were stored for a time 
in a shanty on the next corner north — cor- 
ner Franklin and Winter streets. These 
were moved into Tadlock's building as soon 
as it was ready for use. During the summer, 
Jesse Buzan built on block 9, lot 9 — corner 
W. Main and Public Square — the lot now 
occupied by Albert Walty. To one of the 
rooms of this building, when completed, 
Whittaker removed his store. 

Another store was opened during the 
season, on the same block, lot 7, north of 
Buzan's, in a cabin on the premises now 
occupied by BIdwell Bros. & Boman. This 
was owned by one Vanest and run by an 
eccentric religionist who was so " fervent in 
spirit " that he often forgot to be " diligent 
in business," and would go off sometimes for 
a whole day, leaving the store open and un- 
attended, while he was engaged In " serving 
the Lord " by visitation and conversation 
with the people. 

A cabinet shop was added to the indus- 
trial enterprises of the town this season, 



Round Praii'ie and Plymouth. 43 

also, by Carroll O'Neil. His building was 
located on the east side of the square — 
block 15, lot 2, now occupied by Miller & 
Metzgar's hardware store. In this shop the 
Ply month post-office was first opened in the 
fall of 1836 — -Carroll O'Neil, post-master. 

Among the other improvements of the 
town in this first year of its history, were 
the residences of Jesse W. Bell, on block 11, 
lots I and 2, and of John W. Crocket, on 
block 12, lot 6 — the latter now occupied by 
N. H. Grafton ; (and also of Benjamin Ter- 
rell, on block 16, lot 6) now the premises 
of Mr. Terry. Late in the season a public 
school building was put up on block 1 1. For 
about fifteen years this building served the 
town as its only school house, place for pub- 
lic religious worship, and the general pur- 
poses of a town hall. The first school in 
this building was taught by Rev. William 
Kinor in the winter followino- its erection 
The next by Charles Terrell, the following 
summer. 

We may pause here in this running rec- 
ord of material progress to notice the plant- 
ing of a germ that, notwithstanding a life 
of weakness and poverty, has become one 
of the prominent moral forces that have 
been brought to bear upon the people of 



44 A History of 

Plymouth : we refer to the organization of 
the Presbyterian Church of Plymouth. This 
occurred November 19th, 1836. The meet- 
ing was held in Buzan's house on the west 
side of the square. Rev. Reuben McCoy, 
of Clayton, was present to assist in the or- 
ganization, which comprised the following 
original membership : viz., Mary King, Sr.; 
Samuel King and Martha King, his wife ; 
Maria Clark, Martha Buzan, Robert Hall 
and Ann Hall, his wife ; Louisa Crocket, 
Louisa Bell, John M. King and his wife Re- 
becca E., and their daughter Margaret A. 
King. 

Samuel King and John M. King were 
elected elders. Rev. William M. King was 
employed as stated supply, and his name 
appears on the records as moderator of the 
session until 1843, during which time forty- 
seven additional members were added to the 
rolls of the church. During a portion of this 
time the meetings of the church were held 
in the school house to which reference has 
already been made. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 45 



C H A P 'r E R VIII. 

The growth of Plymouth in 1837 was not 
large, but some notes may be made marking 
progress. A building was put up on the 
west side of the square, block 16, lot 2 — 
where Bybee & Terry now are — in the 
winter of '36 and '2)1^ foJ" Isaac Smith. About 
this time the Buzan building was burned out, 
involving Whittaker's store, which was then 
re-established in the building just referred 
to. The Buzan building was rebuilt during 
the foUowinor summer. 

Two other business establishments were 
opened up early in 't^']: one by Samuel 
Doyle, in the Tadlock building ; the other 
by Thomas Deane, on block i 7, where the 
Presbyterian Church now stands, both of 
which included, with other merchandise, 
stocks of liquors. Doyle afterwards bought 
and occupied the Buzan building. Among 
the new-comers for this year were two young 
men whose career has left a lasting impres- 
sion on the community in which they locat- 
ed. One of these, H. P. Griswold, M. D., 
made his home, for a time, with Mr. Hub- 
bard, on Round Prairie, about a mile south 
of east from Plymouth; but after his mar- 



46 A History of 

riage, located and built in Plymouth, on 
block 15, corner of East Main street and 
the Public Square. 

During a period of thirteen or fourteen 
years of a large and successful practice in 
his profession, he endeared himself to the 
large community in which he labored, and 
in the meantime secured a competence, upon 
which he retired from our midst to the more 
quiet life of an agriculturist and horticultur- 
ist, locating in Wythe township, near War- 
saw, and afterwards removing to Oakwood, 
where he still resides. 

The other young man referred to above 
— William M. King, Esq. — is growing old 
among us in the prosecution of the longest 
term of business enteq^rise of any one in 
our histon^ He built, and established him- 
self in business on the south side of the 
square, on block 15, lot 8; commencing as a 
harness maker, and changing afterwards to 
general merchandise, has prosecuted the 
latter continuously and successfully up to 
the present time ; and now, in connection 
with his sons, upon a larger scale than ever 
before. Quiet and retiring in manner, he 
has never sought position, yet his townsmen 
have honored him with public trusts and 
responsibilities through nearly the whole of 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 47 

his life aniono- them, his name havinof ever 
been a synonym for sterling integrity of 
character. 

On the 4th of July, 1837, the patriotis7n 
of Plymouth cropped out largely, manifest- 
inor itself in the form of a " reorular old- 
fashioned southern barbecued Some of our 
readers may wish to know more definitely 
what this may have meant; so we attempt 
a brief description. In a general way it 
meant a free dinner to all who would come 
to partake of it, and free drinks to the 
thirsty from the best wells of Plymouth. 
The liquor shops were closed on that occa- 
sion by previous agreement between the 
dealers and the committee in charge of the 
entertainment. 

More accurately a barbecue refers to the 
style of cookery adopted in preparing the 
meats for the dinner. Mr. Allen Melton, 
chief manager on this occasion, says that in 
the street just east of Mr. A. Walty's place 
a trench was dug, large enough, that when 
thoroughly heated, served as an oven over 
which one whole beef, two hogs and two 
sheep were cooked at once. The process 
of roasting commenced about midnight and 
continued until the dinner hour. A table 
over 100 feet in length was prepared on the 



48 A History of 

square, upon which the dinner was spread 
and partaken of by perhaps 500 or 600 per- 
sons. Sidney A. Little, Esq., of Carthage, 
was the orator of the day. The expenses 
of the entertainment were expected to have 
been met by the contributions of the citizens, 
and were so met in part, and " Uncle Allen " 
generously pocketed the deficiency (.'*), twenty 
odd dollars, and turned the remnants of the 
dinner over to Tadlock, at whose hotel the 
day closed with a grand 4th of July ball, the 
guests being served with refreshments from 
the above stock at twenty-five cents per 
head. 

During this season an effort was made to 
build up a rival town on Round Prairie, 
about a mile from Plymouth, on the place 
of Mr. Sullivan Searle. A few building-s 
were put up ; one of them still remains on 
the original site, nearly opposite the resi- 
dence of Deacon Searle; another stood for 
many years a little east from this ; another 
was moved to the east line of the place, and 
still remains near the place of Mr. George 
Collins ; and still another was moved half a 
mile away, to the place now owned by Mr. 
Jeffries. 

This nameless town — outsiders called it 
" Yankee Town," a name that adheres to the 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 49 

locality still — did not survive the pressure 
of the few succeeding years ; and this histor- 
ical statement concerning it, would be of 
little importance, except that it reveals one 
of the leading causes that led to the build- 
ing of the first place of worship for the Con- 
gregational Church at a point so distant 
from Plymouth as practically to lose much 
of its power as a moral force upon the town. 
This church was built upon the site of the 
proposed town, nearly opposite Deacon 
Searles' residence, and after the abandon- 
ment of the town enterprise, was moved to 
the east line of the place, just at the corner 
where the road turns south. 

Its location here was central and conven- 
ient to the membership of the church, and 
Plymouth was of such small proportions at 
that time, that the error in location did not 
appear prominently until the increasing 
importance of Plymouth brought it more 
clearly to view, and then, seventeen years 
later, it was remedied, so far as might be, by 
rebuilding in Plymouth. 

Having previously noticed the organiza- 
tion of the Congregational Church of Round 
Prairie, the building of the first house of 
worship, in the fall of 1837, for this society, 
marks an important era in our history. 



50 A History of 

location has just been noticed ; its size was 
2 2 by 28 feet — ample for the society then 
and for a number of years afterwards. 

After serving its time in a public capacity, 
it was removed to Plymouth and converted 
into a private dwelling, and is doing good 
service as such yet. The " Old Church " of 
1837, standing, as it does, in the rear of, and 
next to, the "New Church" of 1854, the 
contrast in the two marks plainly material 
progress made in this interval of time. 

The Conofresfational Church buildino- of 
1837 makes a convenient landmark from 
which to survey the religious history of the 
community for a considerable period of 
time. Following Rev. William Kirby's 
labors in 1835-36, Rev. Anson Hubbard 
served the Cono-reo;ational Church as stated 
supply temporarily. One G. C. Sampson* 
— at this time a resident of Plymouth, 
by turns lawyer, teacher and preacher — de- 
voted a portion of his time while here to 

* The legend prevails quite generally hereabouts, that the 
Rev. Sampson, Esq., was responsible for the introduction and 
dissemination, as a choice variety of onion, of the Indian Mallow, 
known to botanists as Abulilon Aviccnmc or Sida Abutilon ac- 
cording to Linnjeus. 

Although there is no proof upon which to base the legend, 
and the gentleman himself says of it, "The story made a good 
joke, but lacked entirely the essential element of truthtulness," 
the historical fact remains that the plant is generally known in 
this vicinity as Sar?ipson's Otiion. 



Round Prairie mid Plymouth. 5 1 

the profession last named, and for a time 
served the church as pastor. 

The records of the church note next the 
services of Rev. Kent Hawley as supply for 
three months of the year 1839; Rev. C. E. 
Murdock in 1840; and of Revs. Williams 
and Austin during 1841-42. This record 
for 1837-42 inclusive, runs parallel with 
the term of service rendered by Rev. Will- 
iam King for the Presbyterian Church of 
Plymouth; and at times during this term, 
the two streams of influence — one from the 
town, the other from the country — con- 
verged and intermingled. After the school 
house was built in Plymouth, and previous 
to the completion of the Congregational 
Church, the two societies frequently met 
and worshiped together in the school house. 
The services of the Presbyterian Church 
were irregular at the school house, for the 
reason that it was open to other preaching, 
and frequently so used ; so that after the 
building of the Congregational Church, the 
Plymouth society more frequently met with 
them. During a portion of Rev. William 
King's labors, he served both societies 
jointly at the Congregational Church. The 
records of neither society show any pastoral 
labor for 1843. Rev. William C. Rankin 



52 A History of 

preached at the Congregational Church in 
1844. At the close of this year a joint ar- 
rangement was made, by the two societies, 
with Rev. Milton Kimball, of Augusta, by 
which he served both at the Congregational 
Church, This arrangement continued until 
in 1850. 

The beginning of the Sunday school work 
has been noticed in the record for 1835. 

The New England families who came that 
fall took hold of the work they found thus 
begun, and labored earnestly in its prose- 
cution, and afterwards for a time in its ex- 
tension to surrounding neighborhoods. 

The Sunday school that had been inaugu- 
rated by Samuel King and family, and held 
in the Manlove-Wheeler blacksmith shop, 
at the Burton grove, soon after fell more 
especially under the management of 'Squire 
Burton's family and their associates of the 
Congregational Church ; and without very 
material interruption of its line of succes- 
sion, has followed the history of that church 
in its location, its work, and its influence, 
down to the present day. From that as a 
centre, Sunday school mission work of more 
or less importance has radiated in various 
directions. As more intimately connected 
with it in point of time, we may mention a 



Round Prairie and PlymoiUh. 53 

Sunday school conducted by Mr. Asahel 
Hubbard, at Able Friend's house, in the 
northeast part of the neighborhood — now 
Mr. John Smith's place. In those days 
there lived a "mighty hunter" in that vicin- 
ity, who found but little time for his favor- 
ite sport, except upon the Sabbath. He was 
often invited and urged to attend the Sun- 
day school, but found a ready excuse in the 
pressing demands of the chase. It was often 
his delight, with gun and dogs, to precede 
the superintendent on his way to Sunday 
school, and make the day hideous with his 
yelping hounds and occasional discharges 
of his gun; but the mighty hunter was him- 
self hunted, by the spirit of grace in answer 
to prayer, and wounded by a guilty con- 
science, and finally brought in humble sub- 
mission into the fold. Entering upon a 
better life, for twenty years of his subse- 
quent history he was personally engaged in 
Sunday school mission work as superintend- 
ent, in his own and various surrounding 
neighborhoods. 

We notice another mission school, con- 
ducted by Mr. N. F. Burton and Mr. A. C. 
Adkins, south of Round Prairie, on " Nubbin 
Ridge," and another in the " Rice Settle- 
ment," northeast, conducted by Messrs. N. 



54 ^ Histoiy of 

F. Burton and Charles Terrell. To the lat- 
ter orentleman this work undoubtedly proved 
a labor of love in more than one respect, as 
it was there he found a wife. 

Still another Sunday school was held for 
a time in the school house near Mr. Solo- 
mon Twidwell's, conducted by members of 
Mr. Samuel King's family. Also, during a 
portion of Rev. William King's ministry in 
Plymouth, a Sunday school was held in the 
school house in Plymouth in connection 
with his services ; and during the same pe- 
riod, Mr. King preached occasionally near 
Birmingham, sometimes at the Lansden 
place and sometimes at the adjoining Man- 
love place, and sometimes at Mr. William 
Irwin's, west of Plymouth, In connection 
with both these appointments, Sunday 
schools were held, the one at Birmingham 
conducted by Mr. Samuel King, and after- 
wards by his son, James G. King, or per- 
haps by his brother Cam The one west of 
Plymouth was conducted by Mr. William 
Irwin and Mr. Emsley Jackson, and after- 
wards by Mr. G. A. Gaylord. We cannot 
now fix the date of these various efforts in 
Sunday school work definitely, but may say 
that their beginnings may be placed some- 
where between 1837 ^^^ ^^43 inclusive. It 



Round Prairie and PlyinoiLih. 55 

is doubtful if any of these mission enter- 
prises have had a continuous existence since 
their organization, but most of them have 
maintained a somewhat broken line of suc- 
cession, and they are noted as moral influ- 
ences radiating from Round Prairie and 
Plymouth, that are worthy of record here. 

During the summer of 1837, Rev. Albert 
Hale, of Springfield, who was out on a pros- 
pecting tour in the interest of missions ; 
Rev. — Lippincott, of Jacksonville, on a 
similar tour in the interest of Sunday 
schools; and Rev. William Carter, after- 
wards of Pittsfield, then prospecting with a 
view to a permanent settlement, met inci- 
dentally — or, more properly, providentially 
— on Round Prairie, and at once com- 
menced a series of meetings that were held 
in Mr. Burton's barn that had been lately 
raised, but on account of delay in getting 
lumber, was yet un inclosed. These meet- 
ings continued about two weeks, and result- 
ed in material accessions to the church. 

We notice here a similar meeting held by 
the Methodist brethren, in the spring of 
1 84 1, at Mr. Byrd Smith's place — now Mr. 
William Holton's. The residence then was 
south of the present one, on the ridge, and 
near the east line of the place. Rev. Will- 



56 A History of 

iam Royal was the preacher in charge at that 
time, but his duties on the circuit were such 
that he could only be at this meeting at his 
regular appointments. 

This work was commenced by two young 
men from the Mission Institute in Quincy, 
Elias Kirkland and George Thompson, and 
carried on mainly by the following local 
preachers: Rev. Henry Bell, Rev. Solomon 
Pendarvis, and Rev. George Jackson. This 
is noted as the first general revival in the 
history of the M. E. Church on Round Prai- 
rie; and perhaps the most notable incident 
connected with it was the conversion of the 
"mighty hunter" to whom allusion has been 
made, and who stands foremost amonor the 
notable characters of our history. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The period of which we now write was an 
eventful one. A wave of speculative excite- 
ment, and of apparent prosperity, had swept 
over the whole State. A gigantic system 
of internal improvements had just been pro- 
jected, embracing many of the more impor- 
tant lines of railroad built within the State 



RoiLiid Prairie and PlynioiUh. 5 7 

since 1850, together with the completion of 
the IlHnois and Michigan Canal, and numer- 
ous river improvements ; building towns — 
on paper, and otherwise — was a prominent 
feature in the speculative fever. Town lots 
were one of the most important items of 
merchandise in home and eastern markets ; 
paper money, ground out of a State bank 
mill, without substantial basis, was plenty; 
the flood tide of speculation was reached. 
In the midst of this excitement, Plymouth 
was born and passed the first year of its 
history. It seemed healthy and promising; 
its parents and friends had high hopes of 
its rapid growth and strong manhood, but 
unfortunately, " great expectations " concern- 
ing it were not realized. 

A COLLAPSE. 

A change came over the spirit of men's 
dreams; times changed; with 1837 a finan- 
cial crisis swept over the whole country ; 
banks suspended ; internal improvements 
could not be carried on ; our State system 
collapsed so completely, that for a dozen 
years private enterprise did not undertake 
the work the State had wrecked so thor- 
oughly ; the State Bank, bolstered up, in a 
suspended condition, by State bonds for a 
5 



•58 A History of 

time, succumbed in a few years, and went 
"to the dogs;" speculation generally was 
thoroughly checked. Under such circum- 
stances, and in such a financial atmosphere, 
Plymouth entered its second year of life ; 
that it lived through, and bore what soon 
followed, is conclusive proof of a vigorous 
constitution. The young town staggered 
along under these adverse influences for 
two or three years, and then the Mormon 
blight fell upon it, in common with the 
whole county. 

THE MORMONS 

came into the county and located in Nauvoo 
in 1839-40. They were driven out in 1846. 
During this time they managed to inflict 
incalculable damage upon all the commu- 
nities that came within the range of their 
influence and depredations. It is not our 
purpose to enter upon a general history of 
Mormonism, yet some general facts concern- 
ing them are necessary to explain the blight- 
ing influence they exerted upon our commu- 
nity and others, to show why the citizens 
became so exasperated against them, and 
to lead the way to some incidents concern- 
ing them, in our local history, that we think 
will be of interest to our readers. 



Round Praii^ie and Plymout/i. 59 

For such general facts as we give, we are 
indebted mainly to Ford's History of Illinois. 

As the sacred books of a people have 
much to do with the formation of their prin- 
ciples and character, we notice, first, the 
origin of the so-called Mormon Bible, or 
liooK OF Mormon. Good Mormons are 
expected to believe its origin to be as fol- 
lows, viz : that their prophet, Joseph Smith, 
under the direction of an angel, found, near 
Palmyra, New York, a stone box containing 
golden plates, like sheets of tin, on which 
were inscribed, in strange hieroglyphic char- 
acters, the records which, when translated, 
formed the Book of Mormon. The prophet 
was enabled to translate these records by 
direct revelation, aided by a pair of specta- 
cles formed of two transparent stones, found 
in the stone box containing the golden 
plates — all of which story is confirmed to 
the satisfaction of the faithful, by the testi- 
mony of a few of the prophet's most admir- 
ing followers — none others, of course, would 
be permitted to meddle with or behold such 
sacred mysteries. 

Gentile unbelievers in Mormonism have 
a way of accounting for the origin of the 
Mormon Bible that strips it of all this beau- 
tiful romance and miracle, and brings it 



6o A History of 

down, from the high plane of revelation, to 
the low level of a religious novel. The story 
is this : that Sidney Rigdon, one of Smith's 
earliest associates in establishing Mormon- 
ism, manufactured the Book of Mormon from 
a religious romance on the ten lost tribes of 
Israel, written by a Presbyterian clergyman 
of Ohio. We do not attempt to prove that 
either horn of the dilemma is the true one, 
but leave our readers to take their choice. 

We notice, in the second place, a great 
moral principle drawn from the above 
source — or a better one — viz., that " The 
earth is the Lord's, and the fullness there- 
of." In deciding the probabilities of the 
real origin of this important proposition, 
the reader is referred to Psalms, xxiv. i. 
We do not stop to discuss the question, but 
proceed at once to state, thirdly, a remark- 
able claim founded upon the principle stated 
— a claim which their gentile neighbors 
think led the Mormons into great immoral- 
ities in their practice. The claim was sub- 
stantially this : The Mormons being the 
peculiar chosen people of the Lord, had, in 
consequence of this relation, full right to all 
the "fullness of the earth" that they desired, 
or that might be made to contribute in any 
way to their wants, their comfort, or their 



Round Pra27^ze and Plymouth. 6 1 

happiness. In other words, gentiles " had 
no rights that Mormons were bound to re- 
spect." The enforcement of such claims 
naturally led to unpleasant relations be- 
tween the Mormons and their ^entile neio;h- 
bors, of which more hereafter. We notice, 

Fourthly, some remarkable powers con- 
ferred by the legislature of Illinois, in the 
charter of Nauvoo, orivino^ the Mormons a 
legal right to enforce such claims as we 
have stated above, and virtually making 
them independent of all laws, except such 
as they chose to enact and enforce. 

It seems incredible that any legislature 
outside of a lunatic asylum should confer 
such powers upon any community ; and its 
explanation brings to light one of the curi- 
osities of political log-rolling. An exciting 
election was at hand ; the parties were 
evenly divided, and both were anxious to 
secure the Mormon vote. The Mormons 
saw their opportunity, and made good use 
of it ; they fixed their charter to suit them- 
selves, and sent a shrewd agent to Spring- 
field with it, who found both parties only 
too ready to favor any claims the Mormons 
might present, on condition of receiving the 
Mormon vote ; and with the expectation of 
getting such vote, each party vied with the 



62 A History of 

other in hurrying the measure through. 
The result was, this remarkable charter 
passed both houses of the legislature with- 
out any opposition ; the ayes and noes were 
not even called for. 

In many respects this document was pur- 
posely ambiguous ; but the only visible legal 
limits to the powers conferred, were the 
constitution of the United States and of 
this State. That it was construed by the 
Mormons as giving them power to disre- 
gard the laws of the State, is sufficiently 
proved by the following provisions of a city 
ordinance passed under the provisions of 
their charter. 

We quote as follows : " No writ issued 
from any other place than Nauvoo, for the 
arrest of any one in it, should be executed 
in the city, without an approval endorsed 
thereon by the mayor ; that if any public 
officer, by virtue of any foreign writ, should 
attempt to make an arrest in the city with- 
out such approval of his power, he should 
be subject to imprisonment for life ; and 
that the Governor of the State should not 
have the power of pardoning the offender, 
without the consent of the mayor." 

Joe Smith was elected mayor of the city ; 
was also judge of the municipal court which 



Round Prairie and Plymotith. 6 



v) 



had charge of the execution of their laws 
and ordinances. By securing to himself 
such legal positions as he desired, and by 
his personal influence over his followers, he 
was in fact absolutely supreme in the man- 
agement of all Mormon affairs. 

To enable the Mormons to supplement 
their extraordinary legal powers by adequate 
military power, we notice, 

Fifthly, the Nauvoo Legion, a military 
force 2,000 strong, chartered by the State 
and furnished with State arms, yet inde- 
pendent of any State control, except by the 
Governor. Of this force Joe Smith was 
commander-in-chief 

But one other element was needed to fur- 
nish an absolute despotism, with everything 
necessary to make a system of terrorism 
perfect. That was supplied in a secret or- 
ganization known as the Danite Band. Of 
this order Ford says, "It was asserted that 
Joe Smith . . . had embodied a band of his 
followers, called ' Danites,' who were sworn 
to obey him as God, and to do his com- 
mands, murder and treason not excepted; 
that he had instituted an order in the church, 
whereby those who composed it were pre- 
tended to be sealed up to eternal life against 
all crimes, except shedding innocent blood, 



64 -A History of 

and that no blood was innocent, except that 
of the members of the church .... that with 
this power in the hands of an unscrupulous 
leader, there was no safety for the lives or 
property of any one who should oppose 
him," 

The question may arise, were the Mor- 
mons numerous enough to embolden them 
to attempt the exercise of any of their re- 
markable powers, or to exert a terrorism of 
any consequence upon the citizens of the 
county generally? We reply that the entire 
Mormon population of Hancock county — 
the city of Nauvoo inclusive — was estima- 
ted, in 1842, at 16,000, and of the city of 
Nauvoo alone, which fluctuated greatly, at 
12,000 to 15,000. There were also several 
thousands of them in the adjoining counties. 
More than half the population of Plymouth, 
at one time, was Mormons — probably 150 
or more in number. Among them were two 
brothers of the prophet, William and Samuel 
Smith; also a sister of the Smiths, Mrs. 
Saulsbury, and a brother-in-law of William 
Smith, G. D. Grant. 

William Smith succeeded Tadlock in the 
ownership of the hotel property — the prem- 
ises now occupied by M. D. Gillis — which 
soon became known, in popular parlance, as 



Round Prairie aiid Plymouth. 65 

the " Mormon Hotel." The prophet himself 
came down occasionally and stopped with 
his friends, and it is said by those who ought 
to know, that he sometimes manifested his 
love of worldly enjoyments by spending the 
night participating in the sports of a merry 
dancing party at the hotel. 

A considerable number of the Mormons 
who lived in Plymouth, had the reputation 
among their gentile neighbors, of being 
honest, respectable people ; but the major- 
ity of them were considered a " hard set." 
There was a great deal of thieving done in 
a small way — robbing hen-roosts, smoke- 
houses, etc. ^ — -of which the Mormons got the 
credit, sometimes unjustly, no doubt, as such 
things have happened since the Mormons 
left. No extensive depredations were com- 
mitted about Plymouth ; it was a little too 
far from headquarters for convenience in 
such operations. 

The number of Mormons scattered about 
in various parts of the county made it very 
convenient for them to make the necessary 
observations upon the surrounding "fullness 
of the earth " before transferring it to their 
own private larders, or to their city market, 
if near enough, and desirable to do so. In 
practice they seemed generally to much pre- 



66 A History of 

fer claiminor their rio-ht to the " fullness of 
the earth " in ways so secret that the gen- 
tiles should have no other knowledge of 
their loss than the barren fact that the prop- 
erty was gone. This was altogether the 
most convenient way of carrying out their 
great moral (?) principle. The gentiles of 
Hancock county, in Mormon times, like 
the same class described in the Sacred 
Book of the Christian, often exhibited great 
perversity in surrendering their claims to 
the Lord, or to those claiming to be his 
agents. To illustrate : 

HOW HE SAVED HIS BACON. 

A very good man of the gentile persua- 
sion, still living (June, 1875.) within the cor- 
porate limits of Plymouth, in the enjoyment 
of a good old age, had put up for his family 
use a good supply of meat, which he vainly 
supposed he had a good right to use and 
enjoy. We read that " The expectation of 
the wicked (gentiles) shall be cut off." The 
meat disappeared, piece by piece, a great 
deal faster than could be accounted for by 
the wants of the family. The old gentle- 
man had heard of Monnon theology — and 
by the way, he was strong on theology, him- 
self, in his peculiar way, — in fact, he was 



Round Prairie and Plyni07ith. 67 

ready to meet an argument in almost any 
way it might be presented, by gentile or 
Mormon. This Mormon theology on the 
rights of property was a particular aversion 
of his ; it illustrated human depravity too 
well, and at the same time its present appli- 
cation bore too heavily on his larder. He 
watched for the intruder, nights, with a view 
to making things lively if he should catch 
him. But his vigilance failed, and he wea- 
ried of watchfulness ; but when off Quard, 
again the meat would disappear. He final- 
ly devised an argument, both forcible and 
effective, that was too much for the perse- 
verance of even a Mormon saint ; to use a 
classic expression, " it saved his bacon." 
The thing was so simple that we give its 
prominent feature for the benefit of others 
who may be troubled with Mormon theol- 
ogy, or other loose notions about the rights 
of property, recommending its application, 
however, only in extreme cases. Our gen- 
tile friend fixed his rifle in the smoke-house 
in such a way as to rake the passage just 
inside the door. He then attached a string 
to the trigger, ran it across the passage in 
line with the range of the gun, and fastened 
the other end to a plow in the opposite cor- 
ner of the smoke-house. Any one going in 



68 A History of 

and running against the string, would neces- 
sarily draw the fire of the masked battery. 
Next morning the trap was found sprung, 
and a prominent Mornion hobbled about 
town for some time after that, ostensibly 
from the effect of a considerable cut in the 
calf of his leg, received, as he said, in hew- 
ing a stick of timber. It leaked out after- 
wards, however, that the masked battery in 
our friend's smoke-house was responsible 
for the damapfe. 

A RECKLESS ATTEMPT TO SHOOT. 

This same gentile friend was roused, one 
very dark night, by the barking of his dogs, 
indicating that something was going wrong 
outside. Taking his gun, he hastened out 
to make such observations as he could. 
Getting over a fence on his way towards the 
corn-crib, where the doa^s were engfao^ed, he 
startled a flock of sheep that had been lying 
there quietly. As they ran, the dogs went 
after them. Callino- the doo^s off from the 
sheep, revealed his presence to a man at the 
corn-crib, not more than ten feet away, who 
beat a hasty retreat. Hearing the footfalls 
plainly receding in the distance, our friend 
drew up his gun to fire in the direction of 
the sounds, but it failed to go off. Having 



Round Praij'ie and Plymouth. 69 

been annoyed so much in the past, it was 
his design to keep his gun constantly loaded 
and ready for use, and to use it to purpose 
if such occasion as the present offered. He 
learned that its failure now to serve him 
arose from its having been loaned to a 
neighbor, without his knowledge, used, and 
returned empty. 

The next day, or soon after, while our 
friend was making a call in town, the Mor- 
mon came in, whom he suspected of having 
been at his corn-crib. The Mormon said 
he was about going out to his house to see 
if he could buy some bacon. The reply was 
that he had none to sell, as it had nearly all 
been stolen ; but, said he, if you have any 
business at my house, and will come in day- 
light, you shall be respectfully treated ; and 
if I find you, or any other Mormon, on my 
premises after night, I want it distinctly un- 
derstood that the first warning you will get, 
will be the flash of my gun. This Mormon 
was at this time under commission from Joe 
Smith as a missionary to the gentiles, — 
went to St. Louis soon after, where he was 
arrested as a counterfeiter, and several dies 
and a quantity of bogus silver halves and 
quarters found upon his person. His mis- 
sion at that time ended in the Missouri State 



70 A History of 

prison. On learning of his arrest in St. 
Louis, the Mormon's premises in Plymouth 
were searched, and a stocking full of bogus 
coins found, in various stages of completion. 

A MIXED ORDINATION. 

" You knew, perhaps, that I was once or- 
dained as a regular Mormon elder," said the 
gentile who is responsible for the incidents 
just given. No! we had never heard it. 
*' Well, it was done by the laying on of 
hands by a brother of the prophet, William 
Smith, proprietor of the Mormon hotel in 
Plymouth." 

This ceremony being peculiar, we give 
the facts briefly, as related by the candidate 
for eldership, and as illustrating the social 
and moral status of a prominent Mormon. 
The gentile being somewhat unwell, had 
gone to town and stepped into the shop of 
a friend to spend a little time. Inquiring 
the news, William Smith, who was sitting 
on the counter, knowino: the orentile's aver- 
sion to the Mormons, replied, in a taunting 
way, that the news was " that the prophet, 
Joseph Smith was not arrested yet." " Well," 
said the gentile, " I am sorry for it." At this. 
Smith got angry, and said he could whip him, 
anyhow, and if he would lay his hand upon 



Round Prairie and Plymotith. 7 1 

him he would do it. The reply was, that per- 
haps he could do it, but whatever he might 
be able to do, " there is one thing you cannot 
do — you cannot bully me." And stepping 
up to Smith, he laid his hand upon his shoul- 
der ; upon which Smith gave him a stinging 
blow that nearly upset him. Springing 
from the counter. Smith followed up his 
movement, and in the scuffle that ensued, 
got his head under the gentile's arm, which 
closed 'down upon his neck like a vise. His 
thumb accidentally got into the gentile's 
mouth, and that was promptly clamped. 
With a tremendous effort, Smith jerked 
away with a thumb badly skinned, and 
sprang out of the door, where he promised 
to finish the gentile if he would come out. 
A neighbor passing at the time, stepped 
between the parties and closed this novel 
" ordination " scene. 

The gentile says the sequel to this thing 
was, that being an elder in a gentile church, 
his brethren made him apologize to them 
for mixing his ceremonies in such a promis- 
cuous way. 

MORMON vs. MORMON. HOGS IN MARKET. 

The theory generally prevailed among 
the Mormons, that they respected each oth- 



72 A History of 

er's rights of property ; that if a Mormon 
lost property by theft, some gentile must 
be guilt)^ of the act. The following incident 
shows that the theory did not always hold 
good. 

For the facts, substantially as we give 
them, one of our most reliable citizens is 
responsible. We withhold the names of the 
parties. An honest but deluded Mormon, 
from Indiana, settled on a farm in the vicin- 
ity of Bear Creek. He attended to his own 
business faithfully, and made an honest liv- 
ing by it. He had full faith in the Mormon 
religion, came to Hancock County to enjoy 
its privileges, and hoped in due time to reap 
its promised rewards. He had, near by, a 
gentile neighbor that he respected highly, 
whose company he enjoyed, and with whom 
he frequently discussed the various features 
of Mormonism. As thefts were common in 
the neighborhood, the theory alluded to 
often can^ie up for discussion, the Mormon 
insisting that if any of his brethren in the 
faith lost anything in this way, some gentile 
was at the bottom of it ; but the gentile 
neighbor was unconvinced and incredulous. 
Time passed on. One morning the Mor- 
mon got up to find that fourteen good fat 
hogs had disappeared from his pen during 



Round Pi-awie and Plymouth. j^ 

the night. He at once went over to his 
gentile neighbor, reported his loss, and re- 
asserted his theory. A light snow had fallen 
throLio^h the niorht. The ^entile remarked 
that it was a good time to test the theory, 
as the hogs could readily be tracked through 
the snow. The Mormon hadn't thought of 
that idea, but accepted the suggestion at 
once, and the two neighbors started together 
to follow the trail of the stolen property. 
They found the hogs had been driven up to 
some place near the farm since owned by 
Dr. H. P. Griswold, in Wythe township. 
There they had been killed and loaded into 
wagons ; and as the wagons could be quite 
as readily tracked through the snow, they 
followed on until the trail led them fairly 
into the streets of the city of Nauvoo. 
Here the Mormon became disgusted, re- 
fused to make further search, remarked to 
his neighbor that no gentile would take 
undressed dead hogs into Nauvoo to sell, 
returned home, renounced Mormonism, sold 
out his property, and went back to Indiana, 
a sadder, but a wiser man. 

TRICKS OF THE (mORMON) TRADE. 

Following stolen property into Nauvoo 
with a hope of its recovery, generally proved 



74 A History of 

an unsuccessful sort of business. There 
were various devices resorted to by the 
Mormons for makincr such visits by gentile 
claimants both unpleasant and unprofit- 
able. One device was that of coloring 
stock : for instance, a man mig-ht trace a 
stolen horse into Nauvoo, and find one 
there that answered the description of his 
own in every particular, except that it was a 
horse of another color ; a partial or total 
application of dyestuff had changed its iden- 
tity, so that no legal claim he would dare to 
make would be of any avail. 

Another device was the whittling dodge. 
A little band of stalwart Mormons would 
confront the unwelcome visitor and encraee 
him in conversation, at the same time pro- 
ducing a huge jack-knife and a stick, com- 
mence a process of whittling, cutting towards 
the visitor so recklessly and so closely that 
a retrograde movement on his part would 
seem eminently desirable if he valued his 
personal safety. It was but a short job to 
whittle a man out of town by following 
up the vigorous application of this simple 
device. 

Again, their city ordinances were brought 
to bear, and claimants of stolen property 
were fined by Mormon courts for daring to 



Round Prairie and Plyni02Lth. 75 

POLITICS AND RELIGION. 

seek their own in that terrestrial paradise 
called Nauvoo. 

Such a condition of things as we have 
explained and illustrated, created great an- 
tagonism between the gentile citizens and 
the Mormons. This condition of hostility 
was greatly aggravated by political consid- 
erations. The Mormons voted as a unit, 
and for whichever party this vote might be 
cast, it secured to them the enmity of the 
other party. The principle on which Mor- 
mon politics seemed to hinge, was that of 
voting for the party which promised them 
the most favors in return. The result of 
this triangular political courtship was a gen- 
eral falling out with each other. 

In the spring of 1844, a few seceding 
Mormons determined to establish a news- 
paper in Nauvoo, for the purpose of giving 
the public some light upon features of Mor- 
monism not generally known, except to 
those who had been initiated. One number 
was issued, but before another was ready for 
issue, the enterprise was declared a nuisance 
by the city council, and summarily abated 
by the city authorities, by the destruction 
of the press. This act of Mormon tyranny 
brought on the culmination of affairs. Pro- 



76 A History of 

cess was commenced at Carthage against 
the Mormon leaders, and a call made upon 
the citizens of Hancock, and the military 
forces of surrounding counties, to aid in its 
execution. Several hundred turned out. 
A requisition upon the Governor had been 
made for State forces, but not responded to, 
the Governor thinking it unnecessary ; but 
Governor Ford himself came over and took 
command of the volunteer forces assembled 
at Carthage. He made a demand upon the 
Mormons for the surrender of the parties 
charged with the destruction of the press, 
promising them protection if they gave 
themselves up, with the alternative, if they 
did not, of having the whole military power 
of the State brought to bear upon them, if 
necessary. Such persuasive eloquence was 
irresistible. The principal Mormon digni- 
taries came over to Carthage and surren- 
dered themselves to the legal authorities, 
and were released on bail, to appear for trial 
when wanted, except Joseph and Hiram 
Smith ; these were re-arrested on charge of 
treason, and confined m the jail at Carthage, 
where they were shortly after assassinated 
by a band of citizens in disguise. 

We pass the immediate effect of this act, 
for the present, to say that the trial of those 



Round Pr allele and Plymoitth. 77 

who destroyed the press came off the next 
year, and then proved a farce, the court be- 
ing overawed by a Mormon rabble, and its 
verdict of acquittal rendered by a Mormon 
jury. The result was not soothing in its 
effect upon gentile citizens, A war of exter- 
mination seemed determined upon, and ac- 
tual hostilities were only partially prevented 
by an agreement of the Mormons to leave 
the country en masse the next spring. War- 
like demonstrations were made to hurry 
them off; a military force approached the 
suburbs of Nauvoo, where they were con- 
fronted by a similar Mormon force. They 
were careful to keep a respectful distance 
from each other, exchanging occasional 
lively compliments in the way of a harmless 
cannonade. 

The difficulties were practically ended in 
the spring of 1846, by the emigration of the 
great body of the Mormon population. 

A SERIO-COMIC PANIC. 

We return now to notice the effect of the 
killing of the Smiths, in 1844, ^Jpon the peo- 
ple more or less directly brought under the 
influence of the act. At the interval of thirty 
years from the scenes, they seem to bear an 
impress of a decidedly serio-comic character. 



78 A History of 

Ford says that the intelHgence of the 
death of the Smiths "seemed to strike 
everyone with a sort of dumbness." The 
diunbncss, however, must have been of short 
duration, and was followed immediately by 
a general panic and fright, for which, per- 
haps, it would be hard to find a parallel. 
The Mormons, undoubtedly, were panic- 
stricken, expecting the murder of their 
prophet, and his brother Hiram — a promi- 
nent leader among them — to be followed 
up by a general attempt to exterminate the 
whole body. Governor Ford confesses that 
he hurried off to Ouincy for his personal 
safety, and that he feared assassination from 
both parties. Carthage was in a fever of 
excitement, expecting the Mormons to 
wreak their vengeance upon them for the 
murder of their leaders, many of the citizens 
fleeing for refuge to more distant points for 
safety. Many ludicrous scenes occurred. 
Jeff. Davis may possibly be indebted to 
Carthage for his idea of attempting to es- 
cape arrest in petticoats. Two persons are 
said to have been seen hurrying out of town 
dressed in female attire, carrying between 
them a trunk containing their most portable 
valuables. The parties proved to be a man 
and his wife, escaping thus for their lives. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 79 

The frightened Carthagenians spread the 
panic, as they fled, to the most distant parts 
of the county. Terrible rumors were circu- 
lated, that Mormon vengeance, like a prairie 
fire, would sweep speedily over the whole 
county with fire and sword, carrying de- 
vastation, ruin and death to the gentile 
inhabitants. 

The effect, very naturally, was various : 
some took the panic readily, and fled for 
safety ; others, thinking there might be 
real danger, made such provision as they 
could to meet it bravely by organizing such 
forces as they might for home defense; 
others, still, took the correct view of the 
situation — that, of the two parties, the Mor- 
mons had the greatest cause for a panic, and 
that there was no real danger. 

jim's story, three horsemen take a 

TOWN. 

A friend of ours, whose veracity is beyond 
question, for years a resident of Plymouth, 
then livinof nearer one of the most remote 
towns in the county, but not a thousand 
miles from Plymouth, whose name we with- 
hold, but for convenience and brevity we 
shall call "Jim," tells us the following bit of his 
personal experience in those times that tried 



8o A Histoi'y of 

men's " pluck." A prominent citizen of the 
town came out to get Jim and some of his 
neighbors to come in and help guard the 
town that night, as word had been received 
that the Mormons were coming. Jim tried 
to allay his fears, arguing that there was no 
danger of an invasion ; and as he had been 
hard at work all day, protested against 
losing his rest that night, on what seemed 
to him a needless mission. But no excuses 
or arguments availed ; nothino- would do 
short of Jim's promise to come, which finally 
was given. Towards night, Jim and two of 
his neighbors saddled their horses and rode 
leisurely towards town, to fulfill their prom- 
ise of standing guard. When within perhaps 
half a mile of town, they stopped to talk with 
a couple of men they met in the road ; and 
while sitting on their horses there, they no- 
ticed two men riding slowly towards them 
from town. As it was getting dark, they did 
not come near enough for recognition, when 
they turned their course and rode rapidly 
back towards town. They proved to be 
scouts thac had been sent out to reconnoi- 
tre, and mistaking the identity of Jim and 
his companions, and greatly magnifying their 
numbers, rode through town at full speed, 
giving the alarm that the " Mormons were 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 8 1 

comino-" — "the road was full of them," and 
advising the people to " flee for life," The 
scouts set the example for a hasty flight, as 
they did not stop in theirs, until they reached 
some point of safety in the distance. Their 
haste was too great even to recover a hat 
that one of them lost in his flight through 
town. After finishing their conversation, 
Jim and his companions rode leisurely into 
town, all unconscious of the panic their mis- 
taken identity and magnified numbers had 
created. They were surprised to see or hear 
no signs of human life about the streets ; 
they rode on, seeking some one to direct 
them to the proper rendezvous at which to 
report for guard duty. Finally they discov- 
ered a liead peeping cautiously out irom the 
cover of a wagon down in a ravine; they 
went for it, and found it belonged to a good 
citizen, who wears it yet, with credit to him- 
self and his townsmen. The new.^ soon got 
about, that the bloodthirsty Mormons were 
friends instead of foes; and then the citizens 
began to put in their appearance, coming out 
from the cover of all sorts of hiding places. 
Jim says he and his companions were dis- 
gusted at such an exhibition of pluck on the 
part of those they had come to assist, and 
went home, somewhat out of humor, deter- 



82 A History of 

mined to leave the town to its fate — and its 
fate has been life, peace and prosperity , not- 
withstanding the rude alarms of invasion, 
wars and rumors of war. 

MARTIAL MUSIC IN A MILK PAIL. 

The following amusing- little incident be- 
longs at the same place and near the same 
time as the story just preceding. 

We were inclined at first to treat the inci- 
dent as made up by some one with a too 
lively imagination ; but find, on investiga- 
tion, that it is well authenticated as veritable 
history. 

A little company of panic-stricken Car- 
thagenians had fled to this distant point, and 
taken refuge in the house of a friend, hoping 
to enjoy at least one night of quiet rest and 
immunity from danger before the coming 
storm of Mormon wrath should break upon 
their devoted heads. The curtains of night 
began to fall upon the scene, shutting out 
from view any visible signs of approaching 
danger. Suddenly the sound of distant 
music seemed to float upon the still evening 
air. What could it mean .? All ears were 
attent. Again the shrill tones came ringing 
nearer, clearer than before. There could be 
no mistake now — the Mormon hordes were 



Rotind Prairie and Plymouth. 83 

surely at hand, marching, a triumphant host, 
with martial music at their head. 

The only hope of our startled company 
lay in instant flight. They fled inconti- 
nently, nor stopped in their wild chase for 
safety until they reached a neglected lot on 
which grew a mass of high weeds so dense 
as to compare well with an Indian jungle or 
southern cane-break. They managed to 
crawl into the tangled depths of this jungle, 
and find safety until the morning light dis- 
pelled both the darkness and the danger. 

A moment's investigation, preceding their 
flight, would have revealed a neighbor, all 
innocent of any design of harm, in an ad- 
joining lot, quietly milking his cow; and 
that the first dashing streams of milk into 
the resonant tin pail produced the sounds 
their excited imaginations had interpreted 
as martial music, and caused all the fright 
and discomfort they had experienced. 

THE BLUE-STOCKING WAR. 

Plymouth, with its preponderating Mor- 
mon population, was in a remarkably good 
condition to be panic stricken, if an exciting 
cause had occurred at the proper time to 
produce the greatest effect. Fortunately, it 
appeared, at an early stage of the excite- 



84 A History of 

ment, that the Mormons were more frio-ht- 
ened than the citizens. 

We pass, for the present, the effects of 
the panic upon the Mormons, to notice a 
first-class sensation that occurred a httle out 
of town, among several families of citizens. 
These families were personal relatives ; 
some of them were alarmed at the supposed 
dangrer from a storm of wrath from the Mor- 
mons, and urged the others to meet with 
them at night for mutual protection and 
safety. They did so. As the families were 
quite large, the number thus gathered, 
counting men, women and children, pre- 
sented quite a formidable array of forces. 
The place chosen for rendezvous- - the 
house of one of their number — was well 
chosen in one respect in a military point of 
view : the facilities for a retreat were good, 
should such a movement become necessary, 
it being down hill in nearly every direction 
from the house, and there was a friendly 
shelter of timber near at hand. 

It was the second night after the Smiths 
were killed ; the news had been spread far 
and wide ; the excitement was at its height. 
Our company was assembled, and arrange- 
ments duly made for the night's campaign : 
one of the number was to stand guard and 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 85 

give timely warning of any approaching 
danger; the others to get such sleep as 
they could in their crowded condition 
within doors. The hours sped on ; those 
within were wrapped in slumber — with 
some a fitful sleep, disturbed with fearful 
dreams of impending danger. The guard 
got tired of his lonely vigils, and felt that 
the only necessity for his weary duty was 
to allay the fears of some timid ones within, 
and they were now asleep. He set his gun 
against the side of the house, slipped in 
quietly, and was soon among the soundest 
sleepers. Presently another awoke and 
stepped outside to see if all was well — 
found the guard gone, and the gun left 
recklessly exposed to the enemy ; but see- 
ing no signs of danger, carried the gun in- 
side, for safety, and again retired. For a 
time all was quiet. The door had been but 
carelessly closed ; soon a light gust of wind 
blew it open ; a dreaming sleeper, aroused 
by the noise, shouted, " The Mormons are 
here!" No second alarm was needed to 
bring the sleepers to their feet. One of the 
tallest and largest men of the company 
sprang from his bed with a bound that 
brought his head, but slightly covered with 
hair, in violent collision with the ceiling; as 



86 A History of 

he cdme down, his shins struck with force 
against the edoe of a trundle bed filled with 
children, in the middle of the floor. With 
pain from his double collision, and fright, 
he roared lustily. The guard sprang out 
for his gun, only to find it gone. Its ab- 
sence was an alarmincj fact. In the dark- 
ness the coolest heads could not readily 
take in the situation. The women scream- 
ed, children cried, the men shouted ; for a 
time the direst confusion reigned supreme. 
Then it began to dawn upon their minds 
that there was no enemy to meet ; nobody 
seriously hurt, nobody to blame ; but that 
everybody had been very thoroughly fright- 
ened, was unquestionable. As the general 
ridiculousness of the situation became appa- 
rent, fright changed to mirth ; and from 
that day to this, the scenes of that eventful 
niofht have been a fruitful source of amuse- 
ment, not only to the circle participating in 
it, but to a much wider circle that were soon 
made acquainted with the facts. 

The writer first heard this story about 
twenty-five years ago, from the lips of one 
of the ladies concerned in it. The gusto 
with which she entered into its recital, and 
her graphic description of its incidents, we 
fail to reproduce ; but the essential facts are 



Round Prairie and Plymonih. Sy 

given as related by her, and others since. 
With this we must be content to let what 
our lady informant designated as the " Blue- 
Stocking War," pass into history. 

THE MORMON PANIC. 

The real fright and fear endured by the 
Mormons in and about Plymouth, as a result 
of the murder of their leaders, is shown by 
the following facts : The day after the mur- 
der, a few prominent Mormons went to the 
house of a citizen in the country, asking his 
personal protection, for the time being, and 
his intercession in their behalf, that their 
lives might be spared, and a little time given 
them in which to escape to some place of 
safety, promising to leave the place as soon 
as they could get away. The result was, 
that in a few days the Mormons were about 
all gone from Plymouth and vicinity. They 
disappeared quietly and almost without ob- 
servation ; a few, occupying farms near by, 
abandoned their crops, taking with them 
only a few of their most portable goods. 
Among these was Samuel Smith, a brother 
of the murdered prophet, then on a farm in 
the extreme north part of the prairie, near 
Crooked Creek. He bore the reputation 
of being a good, respectable citizen. An- 



88 A History of 

other Mormon, by the name of Kelley, who 
had been driven out of Missouri when the 
Mormons were expelled from that State, 
had abandoned his crops and most of his 
property there, and when he settled down 
to farming here, had expressed his determi- 
nation never to leave his property again, 
under any circumstances, as he had done in 
Missouri, but rather to stay with it, and die 
by it, if necessary ; but Kelley was among 
the first that disappeared. 

Plymouth was thus relieved of its Mor- 
mon population in 1844; but as we have 
previously stated, the county bore the inflic- 
tion nearly two years longer. A number of 
the citizens of Plymouth participated in the 
closing scenes of the so-called Mormon war, 
which resulted in the expulsion of the Mor- 
mons from the State. 

NAUVOO — THE PROPHEt's WIDOW AND SON, 

The writer first saw Nauvoo in the spring 
of 1849 — three years after the Mormons 
left. The walls of the great Mormon Tem- 
ple were then standing, all the combustible 
parts of the building having previously been 
destroyed by fire. We stopped at the Nau- 
voo House — a great institution, chartered 
by the State of Illinois, at the same time 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 89 

with the passage of the other famous Naii- 
voo charters. In this hotel, according to ifes 
charter, "Joe Smith and his heirs were to 
have a suite of rooms forever." Joe's wife 
is said never to have taken stock in Mor- 
monism. Not long after his death, she mar- 
ried Major Louis C. Bidamon. They did 
not join in the Mormon exodus, but re- 
mained, and are now in charge of the hotel, 
now known as the Riverside Mansion. At 
the time of our visit, Joseph Smith, jr., then 
a young man, was still at home with his 
mother. He is now, and for some years 
has been, a resident of Piano, 111., fifty-three 
miles west of Chicago, on the C. B. & Q. R. 
R. He has quite a Mormon community 
about him, but not of the polygamous, Salt 
Lake stripe. "Young Joe" (now advancing 
in years) is a preacher, and editor of a Mor- 
mon newspaper. 



CHAPTER X. 

We have explained the causes, in the pre- 
ceding chapter, that resulted in a general 
depression of business throughout the whole 
country, as well as here, and the special 
7 



90 A History of 

bli[^hting influence, following closely in the 
wake of the financial crisis, that bore with 
such crushing weight upon Hancock Coun- 
ty, and with it, upon the town of Plymouth. 

After such explanation, it will not be 
thought strange, that our record of improve- 
ment, business enterprises, etc., for the few 
years next succeeding, should be exceed- 
ingly brief. 

It will be remembered, that in our record 
for 1837, we noted the fact that Benjamin 
Whittaker was in business on the west side 
of the square, where Bybee & Terry now 
are. Here he was succeeded by George 
Baxter in 1839. Possibly the two were in 
partnership for a short time preceding this. 
In 1840, Baxter sold his stock of goods to 
William M. King, who moved them to his 
harness shop on the south side of the square, 
where he closed them out, without adding 
materially, if any, to the stock, as he did not 
care, at that time, to continue that line of 
business. 

The only business enterprises inaugurated 
by Mormons, not already noticed, consisted 
of a couple of blacksmith's shops, that, like 
many other Plymouth enterprises, were 
short-lived. 

We might add somewhat to the record 



Round Praij^ie and Plyniontk. 9 1 

for the period of Mormon occupation and 
influence by noting the building of a few 
residences; but it is not our purpose to 
trace the history of that Hne of improve- 
ments, except as it may come in the way of 
our business record. 

Other reHijious influences declined as 
Mormonism advanced. Rev. William King 
left in 1843. From this time the Presbyter- 
ian Church lost most of its practical influ- 
ence upon the town by its union with the 
Conereeational Church of Round Prairie. 
Occasional meetings were held in the school 
house, by different denominations, from time 
to time. 

The establishment of regular services in 
Plymouth will be noticed in the history of 
the various churches of the town, in their 
order. We can only note for this period in 
the history of Plymouth, a general stagna- 
tion and retrogression in everything per- 
taining to the welfare of the town. The 
Mormon hotel kept open doors for way- 
farers, under various proprietors — Mormons 
and "Jack" Mormons, until the property 
was sold to David Higby, in 1847. Among 
these proprietors, succeeding William Smith, 
were Grant, Smith's brother-in-law. Cole, and 
Ewing. Cole was a precious rascal ; found 



92 A History of 

with stolen horses in his stable at one time. 

When Capt. M 's company were ordered 

out to help drive off the Mormons, Cole 
gave out notice that if they went, he would 
poison their wells and harrass their women 
and children. Hearing this, the captain 
went to him and told him that he had heard 
of his threat — that he and his company 
were going, in obedience to the call ; but 
that he did not intend to leave him (Cole) 
behind, alive, to execute his threat ; upon 
which Cole found it expedient to make a 
hasty removal to Nauvoo. During Ewing's 
" administration " of the hotel business, the 
old Mormon sign post on the premises, be- 
came an obnoxious remembrancer of the 
past, to the citizens, and a " vigilance com- 
mittee went, one day, and cut it down, not- 
withstanding the protest of the proprietor. 

In 1846, Mr. M. C. Johnson commenced 
business on the west side — at the Bybee 
place — selling merchandise and keeping 
hotel. This he continued until 185 1, and 
was then succeeded by Mr. David Palmer. 

In 1848, Mr. Philip Metzgar commenced 
his business career in Plymouth. He bought 
a house and lot where his residence now is, 
together with the remaining three lots east 
of it — lots 4, 5, 6 and 7, blocK: 15 — of Mr. 



Rotuid Prairie and PlymoiUh. 93 

Samuel Haggard, for one hundred and thirty- 
seven dollars. (The value of town property, 
just after the Mormon times, is worthy of 
note.) Here he worked at his trade, tailor- 
ing, for two years ; then commenced selling 
goods in a small way, adding, from time to 
time, to his stock and to his facilities for 
trade, until he has built up one of the largest 
and most successful business enterprises of 
the town. 

The character of 'Squire King^s business 
changed from the mechanical to the mer- 
cantile, about 1848. Up to this time he had 
followed his trade — ^harness making-. A Mr. 
Percival, doing business in Clayton, had 
brought a small stock of goods to Plymouth, 
which for a time were kept in the Mormon 
Hotel building. Soon after, Percival formed 
a partnership with W. M. King, and the 
goods were moved to King's shop on the 
south side of the square. This continued 
for a year or two, when King bought out his 
partner, and continued the business on his 
own account, dropping the harness making 
altogether. 

J. W. Bell commenced his mercantile 
business in 1847 — it would seem rather by 
accident than design. He had devoted him- 
self to farming since coming to Plymouth in 



94 A History of 

1836, doing no public business, except enter- 
taining travelers occasionally at his first 
place of residence, on Winter street, between 
Virginia and Union. During the year 
named, he raised a large crop of beans, for 
which he failed to find a satisfactory cash 
market, but could trade them for goods. 
This he did, and continued to keep a small 
stock on hand while he remained at the old 
place, devoting leisure time to the business, 
and running it in an irregular sort of way, 
as incidental to the farming business. Such 
was the beginning of an enterprise that grew 
up to be among the foremost in the place. 

We may remark here, that the three per- 
sons just noticed — J. W. Bell, who came to 
Plymouth in 1836; William M. King, who 
came in 1837; and Philip Metzgar, who came 
in 1848 — all commenced their mercantile 
career near the same time, and are the only 
ones who have done a successful and contin- 
uous business for so long a period — a quar- 
ter of a century — in Plymouth. The two 
latter are continuing the race into the sec- 
ond quarter, while the first, Mr. Bell, retired, 
through age and infirmity, in 1873. In 1850, 
Dr. H. P. Griswold retired from practice and 
went to his farm in Wythe township. Mr 
Bell bought out his town property, includ- 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 95 

ing: the residence on the corner of East 
Main street and the pubHc square, together 
with all the lots east of it to Union street. 
Here both branches of his business took on 
an enlarged and more prominent form. Mr. 
John A. Hamilton entered into partnership 
with Mr. Bell, in the mercantile business, in 
1854, and continued with him until the fall 
of 1862, when he changed his location to 
Carthage. 

In 1855 Mr. Bell put up the new hotel 
and store building on the corner. This was 
sold to Wilson in 1857. Bell and Ham- 
ilton continued to occupy the store until the 
building was burned in the spring of 1858, 
involving, as is generally supposed, the death 
of Wilson, the proprietor. The business of 
Bell & Hamilton was then transferred to the 
north side of the square, in the Odell build- 
ing; remaining there until the fall of the 
same year, was then removed to a building 
on the corner of East Main and Virpfinia 
streets — east end of the Ralston place. 
Here they remained until the dissolution 
of the firm in 1862. 

T. P. Montgoinejy, M. D., succeeded Dr. 
Griswold in the practice of medicine in Ply- 
mouth in 1850. He lived for a time in Mr. 
Bell's old residence on Winter street, and in 



96 A History of 

1852 built the residence on East Main street. 
He also built a large two-story store build- 
ing in 1856, on the northwest corner of the 
square — lot 3, block 9 — and carried on 
business there until 1857, when he sold out 
to Mr. A. S. Newman. His residence he 
sold to J. W. Bell in 1858, by whom it is still 
occupied. Dr. Montgomery went to Mis- 
souri from Plymouth, and was succeeded in 
practice here by Drs. M. M. Hooton and A. 
W. King, who had been associated with him 
for a time, the former having commenced 
practice in 1852, and retired in 1862, remov- 
ing to Peoria. The latter commenced prac- 
tice in 1854, and retired in 1866, devoting 
himself since that time to farming. Mont- 
gomery returned to Plymouth in 1861, and 
remained for three years, and then made his 
final removal. 

T. L. Gannon and Tho^nas Garvin com- 
menced their business in Plymouth as wagon 
makers in 1850, working in partnership for a 
time, in a building where the Ralston House 
now stands. Dissolving partnership, Mr. 
Garvin continued in the business until his 
death in 1867. 

T. L. Gannon remained until after the 
war, when, unfortunately, some relics of the 
" late unpleasantness " grew to such propor- 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 97 

tlons between him and some of the " soldier 
boys," who had not exhausted their war 
spirit in the south, that he thought a hasty- 
removal desirable, and that such a step 
would be in the interest of peace. 

David Higby settled in Plymouth in 1847. 
There are some items in his history worthy 
of special notice. He started for this local- 
ity in the spring of 1838, with a wife and 
two children, his home having been in the 
State of New York. All were blown up in 
the terrific boiler explosion of the steamer 
Moselle, near Cincinnati. His wife and 
children were killed. He barely escaped 
with his life, having a leg and an arm brok- 
en. For ten days he was entirely uncon- 
scious ; and as his life began to come back, 
his first knowledge of his surroundings was 
of the fact that two bungling doctors, who 
had given him up to die, were quarreling 
over his trunk containing several hundred 
dollars in specie. We think we have used 
the qualifying word concerning these doc- 
tors advisedly, for the reason, that during 
the three months Mr. Higby laid there, un- 
able to be moved, his leg was broken over 
and reset three times, and then left in a con- 
dition that made him a cripple for life. As 
soon as he could be moved, a brother came 



98 A History of 

out from New York and took him home. 
He remained there until fall, and then came 
out to Illinois, locating, for the time, at 
Lamoine mill, where he worked with his 
brother-in-law, Butler Gates. He remained 
here until 1843, when Mr. Gates sold out to 
Samuel Doyle. Mr. Higby then went with 
Mr. Gates to. Riverside, and was engaged 
with him in an unprofitable mill enterprise 
on the rapids of the Mississippi, until the 
spring of 1847, when he came to Plymouth, 
living that summer in the house of Samuel 
Haggard, on the site of P. Metzgar's present 
residence. Durinof the followingf fall or win- 
ter, Mr. Higby bought, at a sale by order of 
court, the Mormon Hotel property, together 
with the entire tier of lots, one to six inclu- 
sive, in block ten, extending from Franklin 
to Virginia streets. He commenced black- 
smithing in a shop on the northwest corner 
of the square, where Bidwell Bros. & Bo- 
man's shop now is. 

He built a shop on his own premises in 
1849. Ir^ 1850, the gold fever took him off 
to California, where he remained for one 
year. Returning from there, he devoted 
himself to his trade, until compelled to retire 
from it by his final sickness. He built the 
present family residence on Virginia street 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 99 

in 1858. His death occurred December 
]Oth, 1867. 

John J. Hippie commenced business in 
Birmingham in 1847, and continued there 
until 1854, when he removed to Plymouth. 
Early in this year, he built a store on lot 8, 
block 16 — now the King & Son place — on 
the south side of the square. 

Mr. Hippie claims the credit — -and his 
claim is undisputed — of putting down the 
first sidewalk in Plymouth, on the premises 
just described. It was a small beginning, 
extendingf eighteen feet, the whole lenfrth of 
his store front, and three feet wide. 

We may remark here, that this class of 
improvements has kept pace with the growth 
of the town to a good degree, although there 
is yet room for more, and in many places a 
much better style than that which now pre- 
vails. 

In the fall of 1854, Mr. Hippie sold out 
his establishment to Sayler & Elliott. The 
next year he bought the west half of lot 9, 
block 15, of William M. King — now H. G. 
Metzgar's, — built a store upon it, and re- 
commenced business. In a short time he 
sold out to David Graham, who, in a few 
months, was succeeded by Kinsey & Gra- 
ham. Mr. Hippie's residence, on Franklin 



loo A History of 

street — one of the best in town — was built 
in 1856. 

y. M. Randolph, M. D., followed the prac- 
tice of medicine in Birmingham, from 1842 
to 1850. During a part of this time he rented 
and run the sawmill at that place. In 1850, 
he and John Hendrickson bought the La- 
moin mill. In 1854, the firm of Randolph 
& Hendrickson commenced a mercantile 
business in Plymouth, in addition to their 
milling business at Lamoin, building a store 
on lot 9, block 16 — premises now owned by 
King & Son. This firm dissolved partner- 
ship two years later, Randolph continuing 
the business in Plymouth, and Hendrickson 
taking the mill property at Lamoin. 

The Btizan Biiilding — now Walty's — 
figured as a prominent business corner in 
the early history of Plymouth, but for some 
years it has been lost to view in our business 
record. For a time following; the Mormon 
occupation, it was abandoned as a human hab- 
itation, and left open as a convenient shelter 
for cattle and sheep. It was afterwards closed 
up and used as a place for the storage of 
corn. A portion of it was refitted for habit- 
ation in 1848 or '9, and occupied by Mr. 

Curtis, who taught the public school for 
three or four years. Afterward, Mr. Parley 



Rou7td Prairie and Plymoitth. i o [ 

Belknap occupied the premises with his 
gunsmith and repair shop, and also as a 
residence. In 1854, the north wing of the 
building was added, and the house occupied 

by Mr. Sherman as a boarding-house for 

railroad hands. Near the same time, Mr. 
C. W. Johnson commenced business in the 
same building, dealing especially in supplies 
for the railroad men. This he continued for 
about a year and a half At one time, Mr. 
Johnson was connected with a firm of rail- 
road contractors who operated here, but this 
arrangement continued only for a short time. 
Dr. James Ross also owned and occupied 
the building for a time as a hotel. 

Lewis Graham, cabinet-maker and under- 
taker, came to Plymouth In the fall of 1854, 
and has been in business here continuously 
since that time. He had previously been In 
business, for three or four years, at Lamoin 
Mill, and before that, at Birmingham, having 
come to the vicinity of Birmingham in 1837. 
Mr. Graham's place of business, since the 
first year, has been where it now is, on lot 3, 
block 16, southwest corner of the square. 

Esta Bidzvell came to Plymouth from 
Canton, in the spring of 1855. The next 
year he bought of D. P. Palmer the prem- 
ises now occupied by the firm of BIdwell 



I02 A History of 

Bros. & Boman, lot 7, block 9, northwest 
corner of the square With the exception 
of a temporary return to Canton, with the 
view of locating in business at that point, 
Mr. Bidwell has carried on an important and 
increasing business from that time to the 
present. His own special department of 
work has been plow making and blacksmith- 
ing ; but he has had various other parties 
associated with him from time to time, both 
in the iron and wood working departments 
of his business, so that he has carried on a 
general blacksmithing business, plow making 
and repairing, wagon making, and, to some 
extent, the manufacture and sale of agricul- 
tural implements. 

Henry Tuck located in Plymouth in the 
summer of 1855. He commenced work in 
the old Van Est store building, lot 8, block 
9. The next year he built a shop on the 
north side, west half of lot 2, block 9, where 
he continued in business until that corner 
was burnt out in 1867. 

To the manufacturing of boots and shoes, 
Mr. Tuck has added the business of general 
dealer in this line of goods. By persevering 
industry and economy, together with a very 
little judicious speculation in real estate, 
the four hundred and fifty dollars that he 



Round Prairie and Ply ino2i Ik. 103 

brought to Plymouth with him has increased 
so that he has raised a large family, owns a 
good place of business, and a snug farm a 
little out of town, on which he resides with 
his family, while he " pegs " away at the shop, 
as though it was the " last and awl " (all) of 
his resources. 

Sayler & Elliott we have previously no- 
ticed incidentally as buying out J. J. Hippie 
in the fall of 1854. Mr. Elliott remained 
in business for several years, and will be 
noticed again with others in a succeeding 
chapter. 

Dr. Sayler's connection with the business 
of Plymouth was not of long duration. He 
remained in partnership with Jacob Elliott 
for a year or two, and afterwards for a 
shorter period with Esta Bidwell. Dissolv- 
ing this business relation, he returned to 
Indiana in 1857. 

David P. Palmer we have noticed briefly 
as succeeding M. C. Johnson in business in 
1 85 1. We have only to add here, that Mr. 
Palmer carried on quite an extensive mer- 
cantile business for about seven years. For 
several years Mr. Palmer has lived on a little 
farm two and a half miles northeast of Ply- 
mouth. 

Nathan H. Grafton (carpenter) came to 



I04 A History of 

Plymouth in 1847, — lived, for a time, on St. 
Mary's Prairie. In 1849 he built the house 
now occupied by Mr. Cook, on lot 3, block 
15. A few years later he moved to the 
place near the railroad, where he has since 
resided. 

John Hayden (blacksmith) came to Ply- 
mouth and commenced business in 1847 or 
'8, and continued it until his removal in 
1866. 

Among others in the same line of busi- 
ness, we may mention James Riggin, who 
worked at his trade here from 1847 ^^ '^ to 
1852 or '3 ; and Reuben Cecil, who worked 
in Plymouth from 1847 to 1855, and has 
since carried on a shop in connection with 
his farm near Lamoine Mill. 

yohn W. Bo7nan came to Round Prairie 
when a boy, with his father, in 1834 — learned 
the blacksmith trade here, and commenced 
business for himself in 1850, and has been in 
that line of business continuously since that 
time. 

Samuel Tibbetts formed a matrimonial al- 
liance in the family of J. VV. Bell in 1850. 
At this time he was a clerk in a store in 
Quincy, but soon after removed to Plymouth, 
where he was engaged in business with Mr. 
Bell for a time. He was employed by the 



Round Prajj'ie and Plymotith. 105 

railroad company, as station agent, for a 
short time, soon after the completion of the 
road. After this he engaged in mercantile 
business on his own account until his re- 
moval from Plymouth in 1861. 

Reube7i Muiiday came to Plymouth in 
1852, and worked at blacksmithing with 
David Higby about seven years. After- 
wards he followed the trade on his own ac- 
count east of the square ; then on the west 
side, corner of Main street and the square. 
Here he had other parties in partnership 
with him for short terms. Ouittinor the 
trade, he tried the grocery business for a 
while in connection with a Mr. Edrington, 
having for this purpose fitted up the shop 
where he had carried on his trade. 

He left Plymouth late in the year 1868. 



CHAPTER XI. 

In our record of current events we have 
now reached another important period in 
our history : viz., that which marks the build- 
ing of the railroad, now known as the Ckz- 
cago, Btcrlhigton ajid Qimicy Railroad. The 
portion of the road connecting Ouincy and 
Galesburg, in which we are more particularly 



io6 A History of 

interested, was built under an old charter 
granted for " The Northern Cross Railroad"' 
one of the lines projected by the State sys- 
tem of 1836. The route contemplated by 
the charter for the " Northern Cross " rail- 
road was substantially that adopted by the 
Toledo, Wabash and Western — a direct east 
and west line. How such a charter was. 
construed to cover a line running northeast 
to Galesburg, is, of course, very easily un- 
derstood by railroad lawyers, and railroad 
men generally, and citizens along the line 
are too well pleased with the result to raise 
any question, even if the case were open to 
question, as to the propriety of " going east " 
from Quincy and intermediate points via. 
Galesburg; consequently we do not get 
"■cross''' by reason of a " northern'" route east. 
The route originally consisted of several in- 
dependent lines. The present name — Chi- 
cago, Burlhigton and Quincy — is the result 
of a consolidation of these under one man- 
agement. 

The surveys for this portion of the line 
were made principally in 1853, and the work 
upon it done during the two years following,, 
it being completed in the winter of 1855-6. 
After reaching this point with the surveys, 
an effort was made to run the line directly 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. loj 

to Macomb, substantially on the line of the 
old State road ; but the engineers found 
Crooked Creek an impracticable barrier in 
that direction, upon any grade that they 
were willing to adopt. Considerable time 
was spent in the effort to find a crossing in 
the vicinity of Lamoine Mill, but it had to 
be abandoned and a more " northern " route 
adopted in order to " cross " Crooked Creek. 
The surface of Round Prairie stands about 
one hundred and fifty feet above the level 
of Crooked Creek, and where the elevated 
prairie approaches near the creek the diffi- 
culty of getting from one level to the other, 
on a grade something less than forty feet 
per mile, will be apparent to others than 
engineers. That the railroad did not cross 
Round Prairie at some point farther east 
than its present location, is due to the sim- 
ple fact that the ravine running from the 
" frog pond " originally about the depot, 
north into Crooked Creek, furnished the 
best solution of the engineering difficulty 
above stated. 

ADDITIONS TO THE TOWN PLAT OF 
PLYMOUTH. 

The building of the railroad suggested to 
various parties the propriety of giving the 



io8 A History of 

town more room in which to spread itself. 
Very material growth was generally ex- 
pected. The natural laws governing the 
growth of towns were not so well under- 
stood then as now. With 'the facts and 
observations of twenty years experience 
around us, it is easy to philosophise a little 
upon this subject, and to draw important 
conclusions therefrom. Among such con- 
clusions we may state that while a railroad 
adds greatly to the convenience and facili- 
ties for doing the business of a town, it does 
not necessarily attract a great increase of 
population. 

A second conclusion is, that a large and 
productive country surrounding a railroad 
town is a valuable element in its business 
prosperity ; and yet this condition may be 
secured without adding very greatly to the 
population, for the reason, that a large busi- 
ness at any given point may be done by a 
very few large and enterprising firms. 

A third and final conclusion is, that the 
most effectual way to build up a town is by 
the establishment of first-class schools and 
manufacturing enterprises. This class of 
improvements will attract the very best class 
of citizens to a place, and hold them as per- 
manent residents. If this were the proper 



Round Prairie and PlymoiLth. 109 

place in which to do it, we should make are 
appeal to the citizens of Plymouth, to place 
her schools on such a footincr as to make it 
to the interest of our own sons and daugh- 
ters to remain at home, and receive here an 
education sufficient for all the ordinary avo- 
cations of life, and to fit those designed for 
professional life to enter at once upon a pro- 
fessional course of study when they go else- 
where to prosecute such a course. Such 
schools are within our reach ; we can have 
them if we will, and by them we would re- 
tain citizens that we are now practically 
driving away from our town ; and at the 
same time we should attract many others 
who would gladly avail themselves of such 
facilities here, and who would buy our now 
vacant lots, build upon them and make their 
homes with us. The same line of remark 
applies with all its force to the benefits de- 
rived from manufacturing enterprises. Now,, 
as our young men grow up, there is no profit- 
able employment for them here, and the 
energetic ones seek and find it elsewhere^ 
while many of those deficient in energy are 
left as a burden upon our hands. And a 
worse feature in the case of the latter is, 
that from this class of idle young men is 
developed the worst classes of loafers and 



no A History of 

roughs that infest society everywhere. All 
these, and scores of others, should be able 
to find profitable and constant employment 
in shops and factories here. Both town, 
and the country surrounding it, would be 
greatly benefited by such a condition of 
things : the town by an increased popula- 
tion and business, and the country by a bet- 
ter home market for its productions. 

The question may be asked by some, 
what all this moralizing has to do with the 
heading under which we have placed it. 
We shall endeavor to make all this as 
" plain as a pike-staff," even to the compre- 
hension of the dullest. We state the fact 
here, that will appear more fully a little 
further on, that the limits of the town are 
considerably in excess of the wants of the 
present or prospective population, unless 
some means are devised to attract a greater 
population. Our remarks, we think, suggest 
the best possible remedy for this difficulty, 
and we commend this solution to the owners 
of vacant lots, and to all others interested in 
the prosperity of Plymouth. The arrange- 
ment, perhaps, would have been more logical 
had we reserved the remarks until after the 
statement of the facts upon which they are 
based : however, we are not aware of any 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 1 1 

law compelling us to follow any logical order 
lin the arrangement of our subject matter. 

We now proceed with our statement of 
facts. 

In 1854 Bell, Rook & yohnsons Addition 
to Plymouth was made, adding forty acres 
to the original fifty in the plat of 1836. 
This is by far the largest, most important 
.and most successful of the additions made 
to the town. It embraces ninety lots of 
■eighty feet front, being larger than the lots 
in the original plat, they being but sixty-six 
'feet front, and those on the square are still 
less. Those on the north and south sides 
■of the square are fifty-five feet front, and 
those on the east and west sides are fifty- 
two and a quarter feet. Ten lots, being the 
whole of block 7 in Bell, Rook & Johnson's 
addition, are occupied by the school prop- 
■erty. Lots i and 2 in block 8 are occupied 
iby the Congregational Church. On the re- 
maining seventy-eight lots, all of which are 
•desirable residence property, there are now 
a little less than thirty dwellings. Several 
of the occupants of these own more than 
one lot, so that the difference between the 
'number of lots and the number of dwellings 
'represents considerably more than the num- 
iber of vacant lots. 



112 A Histo7'y of 

Wilsons Addition comprises two blocks 
south of East Main street, between the 
original plat and Bell, Rook & Johnson's 
addition. In these two blocks are twelve- 
full lots, and four fractional ones divided by 
the railroad. The only residence on either 
is that of Rev. L. Osborn, on block two^. 
south of Summer street. 

Cook's Addition, near the depot, comprises 
twenty-six lots — say ten or twelve acres. 
Of these, block i consists of a tier of nine- 
lots lying between Depot street and the 
railroad grounds. These are sixty-six by 
sixty-six feet, and on this block are three 
buildings — the Cuyler House and two pri- 
vate dwellings. Block 2 consists of nine 
lots, eighty by one hundred and thirty-two' 
feet, and block 3, of eight lots, eighty by 
one hundred and thirty-two feet, each block, 
extending in a single tier from the depot 
grounds to the Augusta road, with Hancock 
street between them. On block 2 there is. 
one dwelling house, and on block 3 there 
are two : in all, on Cook's Addition, six 
dwellings. The Cuyler House was built by 
Anderson in 1855, sold to C. H. Cuyler in 
1857, and burnt out the same year. Mr.. 
Cuyler rebuilt at once, and had personal 
charge of it until his death in 1867. His. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. r ij 

family have continued the business since 
that time. In 1874 his son Walter retired 
from railroad business and took charp;e of 
the hotel. 

The Cuyler House has always maintained 
a high reputation among the traveling pub- 
lic, as among the best kept hotels on the line 
of the Chicago, Burlington and Ouincy Rail- 
road. 

Madison's Addition comprises two blocks- 
of seven lots each, one block on each side of 
an extension of Liberty street northward, at 
the northwest corner of the original town 
plat. On this addition there is one dwelling" 
house. 

Randolph's Addition consists of twelve 
lots west of the original town plat and soutb 
of West Main street. These are uniform in 
size with those of the original plat, except 
that the alley does not extend through the 
addition. On this addition are located the 
steam flouring mill, the slaughter house, and 
the calaboose. Of this latter valuable pub- 
lic improvement we remark, in passing, that 
it was built by the town in 1873, ^^ ^" ^^' 
pense, say, of two hundred dollars. At va- 
rious times its occupation by various parties 
would have contributed greatly to the peace 
and quiet of the town. Its location is not 



114 -4 Histoi'y of 

such as to attract those who would be bene- 
fited by a temporary residence within its 
walls, to a voluntary occupation of it, and as 
yet our town authorities have not used their 
persuasive {?) powei'- sufficiently to constrain 
any one to dwell therein, and consequently 
it has been thus far without an occupant. 

The Steam Flouring Mill, on Randolph's 
Addition, was commenced in 1858, by J. M. 
Randolph, Jesse W. Bell and David Higby. 
Before the machinery was put in, this firm 
•dissolved, and the mill remained unfinished 
until 1864. It was then put in running 
order by Randolph and Patterson, and run 
by them till 1867, when the firm changed to 
Randolph & Metzgar. Under the owner- 
ship of this firm the mill was rented for two 
years — to Strunk & Gillis for six months, 
.and to Smith & Gillis for a year and a half. 
At the expiration of this time, in the spring 
of 1869, Mr. C. M. Currens became sole pro- 
prietor, and has run it under his own per- 
sonal supervision since that time. 

School Buildings. Having previously no- 
ticed the first efforts made in this line of 
public improvements, it remains now for us 
to trace their progress down to the present 
time. We have noticed the use of a cabin 
for school purposes, in the southaset part of 



Round Prairie and PlymoiUh. 1 1 5 

the prairie, in 1834 ; also the building of the 
old log school house in Plymouth in 1836. 
Next in order of time, we mention what is 
known as the North School House, two miles 
-northeast of Plymouth. The original log 
building was put up in 1847, and was suc- 
ceeded by the present neat frame building in 
1864. The North School House has served 
the double purpose, through most of its his- 
tory, of a school house and a place for neigh- 
borhood religious meetings. 

The " Round- Top " School House was built 
in 1847-48. It is about three and a half 
oiiles southeast of Plymouth. On the part 
•of the one who oriofinated the name for this 
building there was evidently great need for 
•such instruction as school houses are de- 
signed to promote. He manifested very 
loose and confused notions of very simple 
geometric forms. The top of the building 
was in the form of a blunt pyramid ; or, to de- 
scribe it otherwise, the building being about 
•square — say 20 by 20 feet — the roof was 
put on so as to form four equal sloping sides. 
Out of this peculiarity in form originated, in 
:some way, the name Round Top. We have 
heard of attempts to " square the circle," but 
this name reverses the operation. The old 
building gave way, in the fall of 187 1, to a 



1 1 6 A History of 

new, larger, and commodious modern school 
building, to which the old name adheres. 
We may mention here, that previous to the 
building of the Round Top school house, 
the old Congregational Church, out on the 
prairie, was sometimes used for school pur- 
poses. 

The East School House, in the Twidwell 
neighborhood, was built in 1850 — a frame 
building that served the community for more 
than twenty years. In 1873 ^^^ ^^'^ build- 
ing was replaced by a new and better one. 
Until the building of the Lamoin Chapel^ 
in 1872, the school house was frequently 
used for religious meetings and for Sunday 
schools, as well as for school purposes. 

The Plymouth School Building, No. 2 — 
supplementing the log building of 1836 — 
was erected in 1851, on lot 9, block 8, on- 
West Main street, opposite the Presbyterian; 
Church. This was a two-story building, the 
lower story being built by the district author- 
ities for school purposes, and the upper story 
by the Sons of Temperance for their especial 
use. This joint ownership continued for two- 
or three years, and then the Sons of Tem- 
perance sold out their interest in the build- 
ing to the school directors. This building' 
continued to be used for school purposes 



Ro'und Prairie and Plymouth. 1 1 7 

until the completion of the present school 
building, in the east part of town, in 1865. 
It was then sold and remodeled into a dwell- 
ing house. It is now owned by Mr. H. G. 
Metzgar. 

The Plymouth School Buildi^ig No. j is 
located on block 7, Bell, Rook & Johnson's 
Addition, in the extreme east part of the 
town. The location has the one disadvan- 
tage of not being central, either as to district 
limits, or as to population. With this ex- 
ception it would be difficult to find a more 
elio^ible site for school grrounds within the 
corporate limits of the town, now embracing 
the entire section on which Plymouth is 
built. The grounds are ample and " beauti- 
ful for situation." The house is of brick, 40 
by 50 feet, two stories high, containing four 
school rooms, with recitation rooms, etc., and 
affording accommodations for about two 
hundred pupils. The building is in good 
shape to have a wing added on the east, suf- 
ficient in size to afford any additional room 
the future wants of the place may require. 
This school building has a history, previous 
to its ownership by the district, that will be 
of interest to many of our readers. 

An association was formed, about the 
close of the year 1854, or beginning of 1855, 



ii8 A History of 

called " The Plyiiioiith Education Society l"^ ior 
the purpose of establishing an Academy^ 
The citizens of Plymouth and vicinity sub- 
scribed and paid in about $3,000 towards the 
enterprise. Work was commenced on the 
building about the first of September, 1855,, 
and in November following, a severe wind 
storm blew down a portion of the walls of 
the upper story. Work upon the building- 
was then suspended until the next spring,, 
when the walls were again put up and the 
building roofed. 

The loss and damage to the building by 
the storm, and disaffection on the part of 
some of the heavy stockholders on account 
of the location of the building, leading them; 
to refuse additional subscriptions, together 
with the fact that the enterprise had been* 
commenced with an amount subscribed very 
much short of what would have been required 
to complete it without the unexpected loss, 
led to the total suspension of the enterprise. 
For about six years it remained in statu quo. 
In 1862 some of its creditors compelled its- 
sale as a measure of public utility, the school 
district being the purchaser. Most of the 
stock was donated tO' the district, a few only 
of the stockholders demanding any return 
for their investment A large majority of 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 119 

the stockholders were residents of the school 
district, and were interested in having the 
property made useful for school purposes in 
some form, as the whole would be lost to 
the public if diverted to any other purpose. 
Less than three hundred dollars was paid 
by the district, in the settlement of claims, 
for the property. Including the finishing 
up and furnishing ready for use, the cost of 
the property to the district was about three 
thousand five hundred dollars. 

The Plymouth Post Office, Postmasters and 
Mail Routes. We have noticed the estab- 
lishment of a post office in Plymouth in the 
fall of 1836 — Carroll ONeil, postmaster. 
The office, during his administration, was 
kept in his cabinet making shop, on lot 2,. 
block 15, east side of the square, now occu- 
pied by Metzgar & Miller's hardware store. 
On O'Neil's removal to Macomb, in 1839,. 
he was succeeded as postmaster by William 
M. King. The office was then moved to- 
King's shop, on lot 8, block 15, south side- 
of the square, now Wade's drug store build- 
ing. The office remained here in Mr. King's 
charge until February, 1857, when he was- 
succeeded by William Melton. Mr. Melton 
removed the office to the northeast corner 
of the square, where the post office building 



1 20 A Histoi'y of 

now is, and from thence, in a short time, to 
the southeast corner of the square, in Mr. 
Cook's building. Mr. Melton- retained the 
office of postmaster for about a year and a 
half, and was then succeeded by John Cleav- 
land, who held it until his death. He was 
succeeded in turn by his deputy, H. P. Wier, 
who held it until May, 1861, at which time 
John H. Lawton received the appointment. 
Durinof his administration the office was 
kept at his place of business on the west side 
of the square — now the Bybee building. 
Mr. Lawton held the office about four years 
and a half — until near the close of 1865 — 
at which time he was succeeded by Sa^nuel 
Haggard. During his time of service the 
office was kept, part of the time on the west 
side of the square, in the building on the 
corner of lot 1, block 16, and afterwards on 
the south side, lot 8, block 16 — now the 
King & Son building. Failing health com- 
pelled Haggard to resign, and he was suc- 
ceeded by Mi's. E. S. Haines in April, 1868. 
She kept the office on the east side of the 
square, in the building now occupied by S. 
K. Gaylord. On her resignation and re- 
moval, in April, 1872, E. J. Ellis succeeded 
to the office. He removed it to the north- 
east corner of the square, in the Ellis build- 
ing, where it still remains, in his charge. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 121 

Mail Routes. We have noticed, in Chap- 
ter VI., the establishment of a post office in 
Augusta, in 1834. At this time, or there- 
about, a mail route was established, extend- 
ing east and west across the country, from 
the Illinois to the Mississippi river. Pre- 
vious to the building of the Chicago, ]3ur- 
lington and Ouincy Railroad this route was 
an important one. Rushville, one of the 
points on the line, had a post office some 
years previous to this time, and Augusta, 
Plymouth and Carthage, with some interme- 
diate points, fell into line as landmarks on 
the route. The building of the railroad 
brought about material changes in the 
arrangement for supplying various points 
upon the line with the mail. A daily line 
was established from Plymouth to Carthage, 
and continued until the completion of the 
Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway, in 
1863. A weekly route was then established 
for the purpose of supplying some interme- 
diate points between Plymouth and Car- 
thage. The discontinuance of the post office 
at St. Mary's, and the establishment of one 
at Martin's Mill on Crooked Creek, called 
Joetta, has brought other changes. Joetta 
was supplied, for a time, from Plymouth ; 
but by the present arrangement both Middle 
9 



122 A History of 

Creek and Joetta are supplied from Carthage,, 
relieving the Plymouth office from all duty 
as a distributing office, except for the old 
line from Plymouth to Rushville via. Bir- 
mingham, Brooklyn and Wayland. This 
was a weekly route until July, 1874, at which 
time it was changed to a tri-weekly route. 

Newspaper Enterprise — " The Plymouth' 
Locomotive!'' Among other things that the 
building of the railroad was expected to do 
for Plymouth was, that it would place it in- 
a condition to sustain a newspaper. That 
such an institution was needed in a rising 
town like Plymouth, did not seem to be 
doubted. That it could be sustained, and 
would be, seemed little, if any, less doubted. 
Enough men with faith and hope in the en- 
terprise were found to furnish the means 
necessary to start " The PlymotUh Locomo- 
tive'" with a full head of steam. It was put 
in charge of an experienced engineer and 
conductor, in the person of Thomas Gregg, 
a veteran newspaper man, who made as good 
a paper of it as any country town could ex- 
pect. The T^lymouth Locomotive ran well 
while the steam was kept up ; but the run- 
ning expenses for fuel, employes, etc., were 
soon found to be in excess of the income. 
It was a nice thing — the newspaper, — but, 



Round Prairie mid Plymozdh. 1 23; 

like the Indian's gun, " it cost more than it 
came to." Mr. Gregg ran the paper for sev- 
eral months, and then a Mr. Hahn attempted 
to engineer it to success — but it died. Ply- 
mouth people did not quit reading newspa- 
pers when their pet died, but they allowed 
others to make them. 

The Park. When the town of Plymouth 
was laid out, a lot containino- about four 
acres was left in the center as a Square. It 
is nearly a square in fact, being 396 feet east 
and west by ^12^2 north and south. For 
nearly thirty years this remained a barren 
waste, furnishing quantities of dust in a dry 
time, that the winds swept relentlessly into 
shops, stores and dwellings ; and in a wet 
time it furnished mud in abundance. In 
1863 about one and a quarter acres in the 
centre of the square were fenced in, leaving 
a street or carriage way on the outside eighty 
feet wide. The lot enclosed was plowed, 
sown with grass seed, and set thickly with 
forest trees, mainly elm and soft maple. No 
attempt at artistic arrangement of the 
grounds was made. The walks run straight 
through in line with the principal streets^ 
and the trees are in parallel rows ; yet the 
result is one of the prettiest little parks in 
all the regions round about. Commercial 



124 A History of 

and other travelers have remarked that it is 
the prettiest to be found in any town of the 
size of Plymouth within the State. This is 
a flattering remark, for the truth of which we 
do not vouch. The trees in the park have 
attained an average height of not less than 
thirty feet, and afford a dense shade over the 
whole ground. The grass is well set. There 
is an excellent well of water within the 
grounds ; and that nothing should be want- 
ing to make the place desirable, not only for 
recreation, but for public out-door meetings, 
a speaker's stand has been erected, from 
which orators may hold forth upon the va- 
rious topics of public interest, to an acre and 
a quarter audience, provided they are able 
to draw so much of a crowd. 

The Cemetery. One of the first needs of 
a town has been among the last provided by 
the citizens of Plymouth : viz., a suitable and 
convenient place for the burial of their dead. 
A few facts may be worthy of statement in 
this connection. Colonel James Clark, one 
of the founders of the town, died, and was 
buried on his own premises north ot Ply- 
mouth. After his death the family removed 
from the place, and the property passed into 
other hands. Several transfers of it have 
since been made. None of the various 



Round Prairie and Ply nwiith. 125 

owners had any personal interest in preserv- 
inof the erave, and the result is that the site 
of it is lost and the ground in cultivation. 
There is a family burying- ground on the 
premises of Mr. B, A. Eidson, used mainly 
for the family of his father-in-law. Mr. Sam- 
uel Haggard, deceased. Another for the 
Gaylord family, in a good location on the 
banks of Flour Creek, near Mr. McPheeter's, 
on premises formerly owned by the Gaylords, 
but now in other hands, except a reservation 
including the burying ground. This family 
burying ground affords as good a text as 
any for a remark we wish to make concern- 
ing private burial places : viz., that they are 
very likely to fall into disuse, neglect, and 
destruction, as such, in a very few genera- 
tions. The premises surrounding the Gay- 
lord burial place is already in other hands ; 
but three families remain in the neighbor- 
hood who have a personal interest in keep- 
ing it up. They do not expect to use it 
further, and the changes of another genera- 
tion may leave no one here to care for it. 

Another burying ground, on the premises 
of Dr. A. W. King, was first a family burial 
place, and afterwards opened to the public 
and reserved as such in its more recent trans- 
fers. This has been in disuse since the 



126 A History of 

opening of the Plymouth Cemetery, and 
many of the bodies taken up and removed 
to Plymouth. Many graves, however, still 
remain ; the fence has decayed, and as a 
burial place it is fast going to ruins. There 
are none left with sufficient interest in the 
remaining graves to keep up the grounds or 
to remove the bodies. 

The Burton burying ground, three miles 
southeast of Plymouth, has come into such 
general use that it will undoubtedly be kept 
up as a public necessity for that neighbor- 
hood and a considerable community beyond 
it. 

The Plymouth Cemetery Association was 
organized in May, 1867. A lot was selected 
•on the premises of J. W. Bell, northeast of 
the old town plat, adjoining the premises of 
Mr. E. Davis, and bounded on the east by 
the railroad. The lot contains about six 
acres, and cost the association seventy-five 
dollars per acre. Including with this the 
cost of laying out and fencing the grounds, 
and other incidental expenses, the associa- 
tion have expended about $1,000. Their 
receipts from the sale of lots have been 
about $900. When the receipts from the 
sale of lots shall exceed the expenses, the 
constitution of the association provides that 



Rotuid Prairie and Plymouth. 127 

;all surplus shall be expended in improving 
and ornamenting- the grounds. 

The first interment in the cemetery was 
that of Mr. J. J. Browning, August loth, 
1867. During the eight years it has been 
in use, there have been sixty-eight deaths 
and interments, and twenty-four bodies have 
been taken up elsewhere, and reinterred 
here. The deaths and interments in this 
^cemetery for the past eight years represents 
the average death rate in a population that 
will not vary greatly from one thousand per- 
sons. This will give an annual average 
death rate of eight and a half persons to the 
thousand. 

As showing the difference between the 
rate of mortality in some of the larger cities 
.and our little country town, we give the 
following statistics : 

POPULATION. DEATHS PER lOOO. 

New York 1,000,000 32.6 

Philadelphia 728,000 26. i 

Chicago 400,000 23.29 

Pittsburg 86,076 27.3 

Cincinnati 250,000 ,....20.5 

St. Louis 400,000 20. 1 

The average rate of deaths per thousand 
persons in the above-named cities, is 24.98, 
or nearly three times greater than that of 
•Plymouth and vicinity. 



128 A History of 



CHAPTER XII. 

We resume the business history of Ply- 
mouth in this chapter, with the purpose of 
bringing it down to the present time. It is 
not our purpose to make this record of the 
business enterprises of our town absolutely 
full and complete, for the reason that a. 
number of them have been too short lived 
and unimportant to deserve a permanent 
record here. We shall endeavor, however,, 
to make it sufficiently full for all practical 
purposes. We shall have occasion, in this, 
chapter, to repeat some items that have 
been stated in a previous one, for reasons 
that will be apparent as we proceed. 

William M. King, Esq., demands some 
further notice, on account of some changes- 
in his business arrangements that have not 
been previously noticed. Another store 
building was put up on the east half of lot 
9, adjoining the old premises on the west,, 
and the old place sold out. This did duty 
for several years, and was then moved back 
to make room for the building now occupied 
by John A. Hamilton. In this location Mr.. 
King had in partnership with him, for suc- 
cessive periods, J. H. Denny, A. J. Duncan,. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. i 29^ 

and J. A. Hamilton. In the spring of 1869 
Mr. King's sons, W. E. and William B., un- 
der the firm name of King Brothers, bought 
out the store that C. M. Currens had owned 
and run for a time. Here they carried on 
business, in the Randolph building, until 
1 871, when they formed a partnership with 
their father, under the firm name of William 
M. King & Sons. The new firm rented the 
corner store on the east side of the square,, 
of J. W. Bell, where they have continued to 
do a large and increasing business. We 
may note further changes in contemplation 
and in progress, that the firm will develop 
fully with the opening of the year 1876, 
The elder son, William B., will retire from 
the firm at the close of the year 1875, in 
order to take charge of an extensive farm 
of 600 acres, that he has recently purchased 
east of Colmar. The firm has purchased 
the Randolph property on the south side, 
and also the Hill property adjoining, and 
are refitting and improving it to meet their 
increasing business requirements. 

Philip Metzgars business changes, im- 
provements, etc., require further notice. The 
Metzgar property, on the south side, west 
half of lot 9, after passing through various 
hands, as previously noted, came into pos- 



130 A Histojy of 

session of parties in New York, from whom 
Mr. Metzgar bought it in 1863, He carried 
on business here until 1870, when the build- 
ing then on the place was moved to the east 
side — now the stove and hardware estab- 
lishment of Metzgar & Millet' — and the 
present building put up in its place. Mr. 
Metzgar has had in partnership with him, 
successively, Benjamin Warner and Lemuel 
H. Johnson. The latter retired from the 
firm in 1873, since which time Henry G. 
Metzgar has been nominally sole proprietor. 

King's and Metzgar's establishments are 
not only the oldest now in the place, but for 
some years have done the most extensive 
business of any. It is a matter that may 
justly cause a little local pride, that the 
business managers in these two houses now, 
.are young men who have grown up in the 
place, and find here plenty of room in which 
to develop their energy, through which, to a 
good degree, the business started by their 
fathers has been pushed into the front rank. 
We refer to Whitney E. King and Henry 
G. Metzgar, who have earned and justly 
deserve the esteem and confidence of their 
large circle of business and other acquaint- 
ances. 

Metzgar & Millers establishment de- 



Ro2tnd Prairie and Plymouth. 1 3 \ 

•serves a place in this connection, as it is a 
branch of the Metzgar concern. The build- 
ing — referred to above — stands on lot 2, 
block 15. It is the one built by J. J. Hip- 
pie in 1855, and moved as above stated. 
The firm was started in 1870, and stocked 
in part by a division of the stock of Metzgar 
•& Co., the hardware carried by the old house 
being transferred to the new firm, and to 
which stoves and tinware were added. Mr. 
Metzgar, having built up two large business 
establishments in Plymouth, and placed his 
son in charge of one, and his son-in-law in 
'charge of the other, is thus relieved from any 
necessity for active duty in either, yet keeps 
himself in a position, as partner in both, to 
foster the interests of each. 

Jolui A. Hamilto7is earlier business his- 
tory in Plymouth has been alluded to in 
connection with that of J. W. Bell in a for- 
mer chapter, his partnership with Mr. Bell 
■extending over a period of about eight years 
— from 1854 to the fall of 1862. For the 
next few years Mr. Hamilton was in busi- 
ness in Carthage in connection with Dr. J. 
M. Randolph, and also for a short time after- 
ward in the city of Cincinnati. Returning 
from the latter place, he formed a partner- 
;ship with William M. King, Esq., and com- 



132 A History of 

menced business again in Plymouth, January 
I St, 1868. This arrangement continued for 
three years, when the firm dissolved, and 
King & Sons removed to the old stand of J^ 
W. Bell, Mr. Haniilton remaining at King's 
old stand, where he continues to carry on 
the business on his own account. 

7. M. Randolph, M. D. In a previous 
chapter we have given some account of his 
business history up to the time of the disso- 
lution of the firm of Randolph & Hendrick- 
son in 1856. From this time Dr. Randolph 
carried on the business until i860, when his 
brother-in-law, C. M. Currens went into part- 
nership with him. This arrangement con- 
tinued until 1867, when the firm dissolved 
and Dr. Randolph removed to Carthage,, 
where he had already had a business house 
carried on for some years. His milling 
business here has been noticed in connec- 
tion with Randolph's addition to Plymouth* 

CM. Currens came to Plymouth in 1860^ 
and, as stated above, was in partnership with 
Dr. Randolph until 1867. On the Doctor's 
removal to Carthage at this time, Mr. Cur- 
rens continued the business at the old stand 
until 1 869, when he sold out his merchandise 
stock and bought the steam flouring mill, to^ 
which his personal'attention has since been^ 



Round Prairie and Plynionth. 1 33 

given. The business career of Randolph & 
Currens has been a successful one. The 
Doctor came to Plymouth at perhaps the 
best time in its history to build up a pros- 
perous business ; and that he had the tact 
and energy to do it is attested, not only by 
his success here, but by his successful man- 
agement of various other similar enterprises 
elsewhere at the same time. Mr. Currens 
united his means and his energy with the 
Doctor's in good time to reap the richest 
business harvest the past history of Ply- 
mouth has produced. The period of their 
partnership, however, was not all business 
sunshine, as it included some of the decline 
in prosperity that followed the inflated 
period of war times. 

Tho7nas Rockey located at Lamoine Mill 
in 1856. He bought the mill property of 
John Hendrickson and occupied it about 
three years, during which time Mr. Hen- 
drickson died. Mr. Rockey failing to meet 
the payments on the property, it reverted 
again to the Hendrickson estate, and was 
sold by the administrator. Mr. Rockey then 
moved to Plymouth, where he built the resi- 
dence now occupied by Rev. Doctor Cor- 
field, in 1861. In the spring of 1868, on his 
return from a visit to Ireland, he bought the 



134 ^ History of 

east half of lot 9, block 16, and the old store 
building of J. W. Bell, that stood upon the 
east end of the Ralston place, which he 
moved to the lot just designated, and in the 
early part of summer opened a store. He 
continued in business here until late in 1869,. 
when he closed up and removed to Berwick,. 
Illinois, with his establishment. His present 
residence is Bushnell, Illinois, 

The present occupant of the premises on 
the corner, John Bagby, succeeded John W. 
Shaffer in the drug business in 1874. 

Jacob Elliott. In a previous chapter we 
noticed the commencement of Mr. Elliott's 
business in 1854, the firm being then Sayler 
& Elliott. For several years Mr. Elliott 
continued to do quite an extensive business 
in general merchandise. He also put up a 
hay press, and for some time did quite a 
business in baling and shipping hay, broom 
corn, etc. In 1864 — perhaps earlier — he 
removed to Canton, from which place he 
came when he commenced business here,, 
and where he still resides. 

In the location occupied by Mr. Elliott — 
lot 8, block 16 — there have been a number 
of occupants since, some of which we shall 
refer to elsewhere. Among these we notice 
here, Cyrics Elliot, who was engaged in mer- 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 135 

chandise about two years. He then traded 
his stock and business with J. W. Whithng- 
/(?;2, who had bought the hay press in 1 864 and 
run it up to this time. Mr. Whittington's- 
mercantile career was cut short by his sud- 
den death from cholera in September, 1866.- 
He was succeeded by S. K. Gaylord, and he 
again by John Hill for a few months, and he 
by Jay Davis for a short time. 

Jay Davis, in connection with S. K. Gay- 
lord, has been variously engaged in the hay,, 
grain, and stock business, and more lately as 
partner with George Smith in a steam saw 
mill that was built by J. H. Young in Ply- 
mouth, and moved by Smith & Davis to the 
timber on Flour Creek, near Birmingham. 
Soon after this removal of the mill, Davis 
sold out to his partner, and is again in the 
grain business. 

Gustavus Michaelis set up a harness mak^ 
ing establishment in Plymouth in August,, 
1869. In the fall of 1872 he built the brick 
house on the west half of lot 8, block 16. In^ 
addition to the value of this building as a 
business house, it is of great value to all the 
owners of property in the block, as present- 
ing the only barrier to a sweeping fire in a 
lonor row of wooden buildinsfs. 

Williatn H. Van Dorn, watchmaker and. 



136 A History of 

druggist, was a resident of Plymouth from 
1858 to 1861. The building on the east 
half of lot 7, block 16, now occupied and 
owned by Henry Tuck, was fitted up by Dr. 
M. M. Hooten and occupied by Mr. Van 
Dorn, where he carried on both branches of 
business named above. 

The Fai'iners Club came into possession 
of this property after Mr. Van Dorn left. 
This organization was formed in 1859, and 
established a Union Store, the leading ob- 
ject in view being to inaugurate the cash 
system, which was not greatly in vogue at 
that time. The establishment was success- 
ful for about five or six years, and paid fair 
dividends ; it then passed into private hands. 
The agent of the Farmer's Club, into whose 
hands the stock passed, found that doing 
business on borrowed capital, and on a de- 
clininof market, as was the case for some 
time after the war, was not profitable. He 
then tried The Banking Business. This 
business being done on the system so popu- 
lar previous to the elections of 1875, ^"'^^ 
furnished the operator an instructive lesson 
that all inflationists are likely to learn sooner 
or later. The banking business in Plymouth, 
on the inflation scheme, resulted as all infla- 
tion schemes of banking must, if worked out 



Roiuid Prairie and Plymouth. 137 

to their leofitlmate end. Debt as a founda- 
tion, instead of capital, and promises to pay as 
a circulating medium, work finely so long as 
t\\& promises are current in the market ; but 
when a financial pressure urges the demand 
for redemption beyond a certain limit, a col- 
lapse is inevitable. Our banker found it so 
in his experience. Some European nations 
have found it so in theirs. The writer would 
regret to see our government repeat the 
folly. 

The premises last referred to passed into 
the possession oi Henry Tuck in 1870, where 
he still continues the boot and shoe business 
as noticed in a previous chapter. 

David Ciirrens is the owner of the west 
half of lot 7. He bought the Fitzgerald 
property of F. M. Kinsey in 1863, and car- 
ried on business there until 1867, when he 
made a trade with T. C. Fitzgerald, then of 
Doddsville, by which they exchanged loca- 
tions. Mr. Currens remained in Doddsville 
about a year, and then returned to Plymouth, 
where he resumed business at the place 
stated above, on lot 7. In 1871 he removed 
from Plymouth, returning to his native place 
in Pennsylvania, where he resumed the pro- 
fession of teacher — that to which his atten- 



138 A History of 

tion had been mainly devoted before coming 
west. 

Joseph T. Klepper, boot and shoe maker, 
began business in Plymouth in 1865. He 
built the shop now standing on the premises 
of Mr. Terry, east side of lot 6. He occu- 
pied the place but a short time, when he 
sold to H. A. Jones. Mr. Klepper died in 

1874. 
Henry A. Jones came from the State of 

"■ Ar-kan-saw'" during the war, in 1864. Of 
the various trades and occupations for which 
his past experience had abundantly fitted 
him, bartering, in this location, seemed to 
be the profession into which he settled down 
with more grace and dignity than any other 
that he attempted ; and in the pursuit of 
which, by shaving and saving, he has ac- 
quired a snug property. Were his literary 
acquirements equal to his natural ability, 
Baron Munchausen would have in him a 
noted rival. 

David B. Rankin carried on a restaurant 
in what was then a part of the Randolph 
property; commencing in 1868 and closing 
in 1870, at which time he removed with his 
family to Moberly, Missouri. He was suc- 
ceeded in this business by 

William H. Marsh, during the years 



Round Prairie and Plyjnoiith. 1 39 

1870-71, or rather by some members of his 
family. Mr. Marsh came to Plymouth in 
1865, and has carried on business as a cooper 
continuously since that time. His shop is 
on Jefferson Lane, corner of Lexington 
street. His brother John Marsh was in 
business with him here for several years, 
and also for some years previous in connec- 
tion with John Wintermeyer, their shop 
being in the east part of the town, corner 
of Church and Summer streets. Another 
brother, Edivard Marsh, has been engaged 
in the shop more recently. 

Leivis Graham's business, and location on 
the corner of the square, lot 3, has been pre- 
viously noticed. The building he occupies 
was put up by himself in 1856. This prop- 
erty, with the adjoining buildings on lot 3, 
block 16, is now owned by John Matteson. 

There has been a considerable number of 
persons occupying, and quite a variety in 
the kinds of business carried on in the two 
small buildings adjoining Mr. Graham's ; 
Samuel Tibbetts, George W. Ross, and 
Carroll & Wade being, perhaps, the most 
prominent. The present occupants are 
Mrs. Gregory, dressmaker, and Miss Graf- 
ton, milliner. Of the latter we may say, that, 
while she has tried various other places of 



140 A History of 

business — even as far west as California, 
Plymouth has been her most permanent 
abiding place and most successful place of 
business. She has catered to the votaries 
of the goddess of fashion, here, these — years, 
how many, " this deponent saith not." We 
trust the fashion of her familar countenance 
may not change for many years to come, 
as do the fleeting fashions in which she 
deals. 

John H. Lazvton bought the premises of 
D. P. Palmer — lot 2, block i6- — in 1856, 
and for a few years carried on business in 
the lines of furniture, stoves and tinware. 
In 1 86 1 he received the appointment as 
postmaster; this he retained until 1865. 
At this time he sold out to John E. Bybee, 
and retired to a small farm south of Ply- 
mouth, where he rusticates amid fruits, flow- 
ers, etc. 

yohn E. Bybec commenced business as 
above stated in 1865. He was soon joined 
by his father-in-law, and the firm of Bybee 
& Terry have carried on a considerable 
business, for the past ten years, in general 
merchandise. Their stand is among the 
oldest places of business in the place. 

The store adjoining theirs on the north 
was built by F. M. Kinsey in 1860. He car^ 



Roicnd P7' air ie a7id Plymouth. 141 

ried on business here until 1863, when he 
sold out to David Curj'ens, as we have pre- 
viously stated. The property came into the 
possession of 

T. C. Fitzgerald in 1867, who still owns 
and occupies it. He has been in mercantile 
business but a part of the time since his 
residence in Plymouth, and his residence 
here has not been continuous. He removed 
to Macomb and was engaged in business 
there for a time, returning to Plymouth 
early in 1873. 

The premises on the corner, lot i, block 
16, was built by Reuben Mmiday in i860, 
and used by Mujiday & Madison as a black- 
smith shop, for about three years. The 
building was then fitted up for a store, and 
occupied by Munday <2f Edrington for a 
time. The next occupant was 

E. D. Haggard, who carried on a stove 
and tinware business for a short time. Sam- 
uel Haggard being appointed postmaster in 
the latter part of 1865, kept the office at this 
place until his brother sold to Ross in 1867, 
when he moved it to the store of S. K. Gay- 
lord, on the south side, as previously stated. 
The Haggards were succeeded by 

The Rosses, father ajid sons — James R. 
Ross, John A. Ross and Henry H. Ross. 



142 A History of 

Under different firm names these parties car- 
ried on business about four years, principally 
in the line of hardware and groceries. They 
were succeeded by 

yames Wade in the same line of business. 
He continued for about two years, and then 
went into partnership with his brother in 
the drug business. The building is now 
occupied by Albert Walty as a ware room. 

Martin Mesick established himself in Ply- 
mouth in the wagon making business in 1864, 
and still continues to carry it on. His son, 
E. D. Mesick, has recently taken an interest 
in the establishment, making painting a 
specialty, although working in the wood 
shop as occasion requires. Their present 
shop, on West Main street near the square, 
was built in 1868. Mr. Mesick worked pre- 
viously in a shop on the west end of the 
same lot. 

Edward Madison, whose partnership with 
Reuben Munday in the blacksmithing busi- 
ness has been spoken of, carried on a shop 
afterwards on his own account, on another 
part of the same lot, on West Main street. 
He was succeeded by Andreiu y. Masengill 
in 1866, who still continues the business in 
the same location. 

Albert Walty came tr, Plymouth in 1856 



Rou7id Prairie and Plymouth. 143 

worked and for a short time at his trade, as 
tinner, with John H. Lawton. In 1857 he 
opened a shop on his own account in a part 
of the building then owned by Randolph — 
now King & Son, In 1859 he sold out to 
F. M. Kinsey, then doing business on the 
Metzgar corner. In i860 Mr. Walty estab- 
lished himself in Carthage, where he carried 
on a prosperous business. In 1865 he sold 
out in Carthage and returned to Plymouth. 
He bought the residence of Dr. M. M. Hoo- 
ton, but sold it soon after to Mr. Terry, who 
still owns and occupies it. He also bought 
the place he now occupies, then the hotel 
property of Samuel Ralston. With some 
changes which are scarcely worthy of notice 
here, Mr. Walty has carried on business in 
this location for the past ten years. His 
stock consists of stoves and tinware, hard- 
ware, furniture and agricultural implements. 
In 1868 Mr. Walty made a trip to Europe. 
During his absence his store was occupied 
by 

W. W. Pond, who carried on a grocery 
business. Mr. Pond's business career at this 
place was not of long continuance, as on 
Mr. Walty's return, he removed to Ipava, 
where he is now in business. 

We have already noted numerous changes 



144 ^ History of 

in the occupation of the premises now owned 
by Mr. Walty. But there are more still, 
which may as well be stated here. After its 
occupation by Sherman & Johnson in 1854 
-55, it came into possession oi John Hend- 
rickson in 1856, who occupied it until his 
death the same year. 

It was afterwards occupied by John H. 
Lawton, and by Dr. J. R. Ross, previous to 
its occupation by Samuel Ralston in i860 
and 1865 inclusive. 

Bidwell, Brother & Roman. The senior 
member of this firm, and the establishment 
of the business, have been previously no- 
ticed. Aridrew Bidwell, the younger brother, 
learned his trade principally, and worked 
with his brother Esta until 1866, when he 
became a partner in the establishment. In 
the latter part of 1872, John IV. Roman. 
whose business has been referred to in a 
previous chapter, also became a member of 
the firm. Both this firm and Mr. Mesick's 
are giving more attention, of late, to a finer 
class of carriage work than formerly, and 
with gfood success. 

David W. Huddleston, who now owns a 
blacksmith shop on lot 3, block 9, com- 
menced his business in Plymouth in 1864, 
working for a year or more with R. Munday 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 145 

on the west side, — afterwards with E. Madi- 
son, — then for a time on his own account in 
Mr. Higby's shop on the north side — more 
recently with J. W. Boman on East Main 
street, and now, for two years past, on his 
own account at the place first named, 

A. S. Newman has been noticed in a pre- 
vious chapter as buying out the establish- 
ment of T. P. Montgomery, M. D., on the 
northwest corner of the square, in 1857. He 
and his brother, N. F. Newman, continued 
to occupy the premises for about ten years, 
when that and the buildings on the adjoin- 
ing lot east were swept away by fire. A. S. 
Newman afterwards fitted up a room for 
business purposes at his residence on West 
Main street. His death occurred March 
1 2th, 1873. 

N. F. Newman has given some attention 
to the lumber business during the past few 
years. 

William E. Odell put up a building on lot 
2, block 9, in the spring of 1856, fitted both 
for business and residence purposes. He 
commenced business in the mercantile line 
here, but continued it only for a short time, 
returning to his farm at St. Mary's. Bell & 
Hamilton occupied the building during the 
summer of 1858, after they were burnt out 



146 A History of 

on the east side. The Odell property was 
bought by William M. King, Esq., and traded 
by him to Henry Tuck, and again traded by 
him to N. B. Lawrence for the farm he has 
occupied for several years. We may as well 
say here that Henry Tuck has added another 
farm to his possessions recently as a result 
of driving shoe pegs. How many more 
farms he will own before he drives his last 
peg, we suppose is largely a question of 
time. The farm just bought is that of Chris- 
topher W, Johnson, lying two and a half 
miles west of Plymouth, and near Mr. Tuck's 
other farm. 

Machenkeimer & Lawrence occupied the 
Odell building and carried on a general 
mercantile business during a part of the 
years 1859 ^"^ i860. For the next two or 
three years there were several occupants 
and a variety of occupations, among which 
were confectioners, beer and whisky saloons, 
all of which were short lived. 

yosepk A. Currens was the last occupant 
of the premises. He commenced the stove, 
tinware and furniture business in 1863; sold 
out the business to Albert Walty in 1865, 
and soon after fitted up the house for a ho- 
tel. This establishment, with Mr. Tuck's 
shoe shop adjoinin^T. and the Newman build- 



Round Pi'airie and Plymortth. 147 

ing, were all burned down March 8th, 1867. 

John G. Follin, M. .A, owns and occupies 
lot I, block 9, as a residence. The doctor 
came to Plymouth in 1864, and has built up 
a good practice. The former occupant of 
the doctor's place was T. L. Gannon, whose 
business in and retirement from Plymouth 
the first of the year 1866, have been pre- 
viously noticed. 

Mahlon D. Gillis, dentist, occupies lot 6, 
block 10, with one of the finest residences in 
the town. This was built in 1869, and is on 
the site of the first building put up after the 
town was laid out, and was somewhat noto- 
rious afterwards as the Mormon Hotel. 

Mr. Gillis came to Plymouth in 1864; has 
been engaged in the milling business here 
and at Bowen for some years ; has also been 
in the lumber business. More recently he 
has adopted the profession of dentistry, and 
is following it with good success. 

Dr. Follins neat office and Wright's^ Pic- 
ture Gallery, which is not so neat in outside 
appearance, but turns out work as neat as 
the neatest, completes the list of business 
and other establishments on the north side 
of the square. 

Robert H. Ellis commenced business in 
Plymouth in 1866. For four years he car- 

* Since repioved. 



148 A Histoiy of 

ried on the wool carding business; but as 
this occupied only a part of the season, other 
enterprises were connected with it. The 
carding business of 1866 was done in a build- 
ing now used as a dwelling, in the northwest 
part of the town, on lot i, block 6. The 
next year, in partnership with J. W. Shaffer, 
the large building now known as the Post 
Office Building, on lot 7, block 10, was erect- 
ed. The firm of Shaffer & Ellis carried on 
the wool carding, lumber and hardware busi- 
ness during the years 1867 and 1868, Mr. 
Ellis continuing the carding business for 
one year after the dissolution of the firm. 
The machinery in the building was then 
sold and removed, and the house fitted up 
for business and residence purposes. Mr. 
Ellis has since been eno-aored dealinor in 
stock and lumber until recently, when he 
entered the establishment of Kingr & Sons 
as salesman. 

Mrs. Wright's bakery and restaurant and 
the post office now occupy the business rooms 
in the Ellis Building. 

Mrs. Belknap is the owner of lot 8, block 
10, upon which is the carpenter shop and 
lumber yard carried on by J. W. Shaffer, 
and also Kennedy s barber shop. The pre- 
vious occupants of the premises were, one 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 149 

Noper, a German tailor, who made cheap 
clothlnof through the week, and with it on 
his arm peddled it out on Sunday to the 
hands then at work on the railroad. T, L. 
Gannons wagon shop was also upon this lot 
after the dissolution of the firm of Gannon 
& Garvin. 

Samuel Ralston, proprietor of the Ralston 
House, commenced the hotel business in 
Plymouth in i860. He occupied the Walty 
buildino; — which had been used for this 
business for half-a-dozen years previously — 
from i860 to 1865, when he sold it to Mr. 
Walty and bought his present stand, which 
he has occupied continuously since, except a 
brief absence with his family in Washington 
from december, 1871, until March, 1873. 
His son carries on the harness m,aki7iP' hwsi- 
ness now in a part of the same building. 

James Stone bought the property now 
owned by Mr. Ralston, after Gannon & Gar- 
vin's occupation of it with their wagon shop. 
He fitted up and occupied a dwelling house 
there for a time, then moved it to block 5, and 
built what is now the main part of the Rals- 
ton House. 

H. A. Markley commenced the boot and 
shoe business here in 1858, occupying the 
premises just referred to above. He re- 



150 A History of 

mained in business at this place until 1863, 
when he removed to Indiana. Afterwards 
he established himself in business in Ouincy, 
where he now is. 

Mrs. E. S. Haines received the appoint- 
ment as postmistress in April, 1868. She 
occupied the part of J. W. Bell's building 
now used by S. K. Gaylord, and kept, in 
connection with the post office, a fancy store. 
Her administration of the office was, in many 
respects, an improvement on that of her 
predecessors ; and in conducting its busi- 
ness, she proved, not only a woman's right 
to be, but her capability of being, an efficient 
public officer. Mrs. Haines resigned the 
office and removed to Moberly, Missouri, in 
the spring of 1872. 

Samuel K. Gaylord commenced business 
in Plymouth in the fall of 1866, buying out 
the stock of o-eneral merchandise that had 
been owned by J. W. Whittington, who had 
died but a short time before. He continued 
the business at the place which Whittington 
had occupied, on the south side, lot 8, block 
16, until the fall of 1868. From that time 
until in the spring of 1873 ^^^ ^^.s engaged 
in the hay business, in the season for it, and 
in the grain business in connection with Jay 
Davis, under the firm name of Gaylord & 



Round Pratrie and Plymouth. 1 5 1 

Davis, also in buying and shipping hogs in 
connection with William H. Bell, under the 
firm name of Bell & Gay lord. 

At the date above named Mr. Gaylord 
bought the stock of boots, shoes and clothing 
of J. W. Bell on his retirement from busi- 
ness, and has since continued in the same 
line of trade at the place of business last 
occupied by Mr. Bell on the east side of the 
square. 

Adjoining Mr. Gaylord s place of business 
is the millinery and dressmaking establish- 
ment of Mi^s. R. M. Taylor. The premises 
were formerly owned and occupied by Miss 
A. G. Grafton, then and now in the same 
line of business, but now on the opposite 
side of the square. 

W. P. Widup, and Widup & Brother, 
dealers in furniture, and cabinet makers, car- 
ried on business in the shop on lot 3, block 
15, adjoining Metzgar & Miller's hardware 
store, from the latter part of 1867 until 1871. 
W. P. Widup died January 15, 1871. The 
brother, A. W. Widup, is now in business in 
Springfield, Illinois. 

John W. Shaffer established himself in 
Plymouth as a carpenter and builder in 1855, 
and a few years later added the lumber busi- 
ness in connection with his trade. In 1867, 



152 A History of 

in partnership with R. H. Ellis, the firm put 
up what is now known as the Post Office 
Building, and carried on the wool carding, 
lumber and hardware business. After the 
dissolution of the firm, in 1869, Mr. Shaffer 
bought out the interest of J. S. Carroll in 
the drug store of Carroll & Wade, on the 
west side of the square. This business was 
continued under the firm name of Wade & 
Shaffer for about two years, when Mr. Shaf- 
fer bought out his partner and continued 
the business on his own account until 1874, 
when he sold out to John Bagby. 

After buying out the drug business, Mr. 
Shaffer remained, for about a year, at the 
old stand on the west side, then removed to 
the shop on lot 3, block 15 — east side. He 
remained here until 1874, when he bought 
the property on the corner of lot 9, block 
16, made an addition to it, fitted it up for 
business, and moved into it but a short time 
before selling out, as above stated, to John 
Bagby. In the way of business, Mr. Shaffer 
has returned to first principles, having en- 
gaged again in the lumber trade, together 
with the carpenter's business. 

James S. Carroll, in connection with a 
Mr. Vail, established a drug business in Ply- 
mouth in 1865. The next year the firm was 



Round P^'airie and Plymouth. 153 

changed to Carroll & Wade, and so con- 
tinued till 1869, when Mr. Carroll sold out 
to J. W. Shaffer. On retiring from business 
in Plymouth, Mr. Carroll devoted himself to 
the profession of music, spending some time 
in Boston under the best instruction to be 
had in that city. He afterwards established 
himself in his profession in Grafton, West 
Virginia, where he is now in successful prac- 
tice as teacher, etc. 

Wade & Brother. W. D. Wade, M. D., 
commenced the practice of medicine in 1864. 
In 1866 he bought the town property and 
practice of Dr. A. W. King, the property 
being that now occupied by the firm, and 
formerly owned by William M. King, Esq. 
The same year he formed a partnership, as 
above stated, with J. S. Carroll in the drug 
business, and afterwards with J. W. Shaffer 
in the same line. 

In 1873 the firm was Wade & Bagby, and 
in 1874 it took its present form — Wade & 
Brother. 

John MeGrezu, M. D., located in Ply- 
mouth in the practice of medicine in 1870. 
Office and residence at the southeast corner 
of the square. 

Newell Sapp, M. D., after several years' 
practice in Birmingham, removed to Ply- 



154 ^ History of 

mouth in 1866, where he has retained a large 
share of his former practice, together with 
the new practice gained by his removal. 
His office and residence are on the corner 
of East Main and Union streets. His resi- 
dence has lately been remodeled, enlarged, 
and greatly improved, making now the most 
stylish house in the place. 

Lumber Dealers. Among those not pre- 
viously noticed, we name, without particu- 
larizing, the following: viz., James Irwin, 
Charles O. Walton, Walker & Ross, T. O. 
Fortner, and Post & Sapp. 

Thomas J. Farley came to Plymouth in 
1855, worked at blacksmithing for Higby & 
Munday about a year, and then went into 
partnership with John Hayden in the same 
line of business. Here he remained until 
his enlistment in the army in March, 1863. 
After his discharge in 1865 he removed to 
Macomb, where he still resides. 

Carpenters. Among those who are now, 
or have previously been, residents of Ply- 
mouth for a considerable period of time, we 
mention, as engaged in this line of business, 
C. H. Dodd, James H. Grahaju, James W. 
Johnson (now of Carthage), Robert Morri- 
son, and Thomas W. Monk. 



Round Praij'ie and Plymotiih. 155 

SUMMARY OF BUSINESS, DECEMBER, 1875. 

Agj^iculttcral Implements. Bidwell & Co., 
Albert Walty. 

Boots and Shoes. S. K. Gaylord, Henry 
Tuck. 

Blacksmiths. Bidwell & Co., D. W. Hud- 
dleston, A. J. Massengill. 

Bricklayej's. T. C. Fitzgerald, William S. 
Hendricks. 

Butcher. W. D. Burdett. 

Barbers. H. A. Jones, George Kennedy. 

Clothing. Samuel K. Gaylord. 

Cabinet Maker and Undertaker. Lewis 
Graham. 

Carriage Alakers. Bidwell & Co., M. 
Mesick & Son. 

Carpenters. G. H. Dodd, N. H. Grafton, 
James H. Graham, Thomas Monk, — — 
Mourning, J. W. Shaffer. 

Drugs. John C. Bagby, H. G. Metzgar, 
Wade & Brother. 

Dentist. Mahlon D. Gillis. 

Dry Goods, Groceries, etc. Bybee & Terry, 
John A. Hamilton, William M. King & Sons, 
Henry G. Metzgar. 

Dray7nan. H. C. Nicholson. 

Furniture. H. G. Metzgar, Albert Walty. 

Flourinor Mill. C. M. Currens. 

Grain Dealer. Jay Davis. 



156 A Histoiy of 

Hotels. Cuyler House, by W. F. Cuyler ; 
Ralston House, by Mrs. Ada Evans & Co. 

Hardzuare, Stoves and Timvare. Metzgar 
& Miller, Albert Walty. 

Harness Makers. Gustavus Michaelis, 
Metzgar & Co., Samuel Ralston. 

Jewelry Repairs. Wilson. 

Lumber Dealer. J. W. Shaffer. 

Livery Stable. W. D. Burdett. 

Ministers. J. D. Baker, Congregational ; 

W. F. Cellar, Presbyterian ; Corfield, 

Baptist; R. G. Hobbs, M. E.; L. Osborn, 
Baptist. 

Milliners and Dress Makers. Miss A. G. 
Grafton, Mrs. Gregory, Miss Kate Pigman, 
Mrs. R. M. Taylor. 

Physicians. John G. Follin, John Mc- 
Grew, Newell Sapp, William D. Wade. 

Painters. S. C. Gilbert, E. D. Mesick. 

Restaurants. Mrs. Wright, Clem. Belote. 

Statio7tery. E. J. Ellis, P. M. 

Station and Express Agent. R. C. Mi- 
chaels. 

AVERAGE ANNUAL AMOUNT OF BUSINESS. 

We close the business record of the place 
with some facts and figures concerning the 
amount of business done. Through the 
kindness of Mr. R. C. Michaels, station 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 5 7 

agent, we have been permitted to gather 
statistics from the books of the railroad 
company, upon which the following state- 
ments of facts, and estimates drawn there- 
from, are based. The fa'cts, we are confi- 
dent, will be of interest to our readers, al- 
though the comparison they may be the 
means of furnishing with other points might 
not be flattering to our pride. In making 
these estimates we have taken three periods 
seven years apart: viz., 1858, 1865 and 1872, 
which we think will give a fair average of 
the business of Plymouth for the past twenty 
years. 

Cont7^ibutions to the Railroad Company by 
the business of Plymouth : 

1858. 1865. 1872. 

For freight received, $4,753.96 $7,645.08 $3,293.30 
" " forwarded, 4,520.93 6,763.47 6,214.40 



Total, $9,274.89 $14,408.55 $9,507.70 

Average amount paid annually for freights, . ....$11,063.81 

" " " " " tickets, 2,665,42 

" " " " to express company, 1,876.58 



total railroad business, Plymouth station, $15,605,81 

Sales of merchandise. In making our es- 
timates of the amount of merchandise sold 
in Plymouth, we have taken the amount paid 
for freights received, as three and a half per 
cent of the valuation of the merchandise 



158 A Histo7'y of 

upon which such freight was paid, which 
gives the following results : 

For 1858, $4,753.'^ = 3/^ per cent, of $135,860.57 
" 1865, 7,645.08 = " " " " 218,419.93 
" 1S72, 3,293.30 = " " " " 94,089.58 

Average amount of merchandise sold, $149,456.69 

To which we add for merchandise received by express. 
Annual average $765.93 = 8 per cent, of $9,574.12 

Total annual sales, $159,030.81 



CHAPTER XIII. 

We group together in this chapter several 
subjects that have no connection with each 
other. And first among them is the impor- 
tant subject of 

Temperance CriisadiJig. Local incidents 
in the history of Round Prairie and Ply- 
mouth, furnish the material with which to 
illustrate three prominent features in the 
temperance movement : viz., moral siiasiojty 
physical suasion and legal suasion. 

While Plymouth people might profit by 
some of the sucfoestions of Dr. Dio Lewis, 
in future efforts against intemperance, their 
own past history is of much practical value 
as a guide for the future. 

The earliest important public movement 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 59 

in the temperance cause on Round Prairie, 
was in 1842. This was a ripple in the great 
JVas/iingtonian wave that swept over pretty 
much the whole country. The culminating 
point in the movement here was the 

Temperance barbeaie on the place of Mr. 
Allen Melton, now owned by Mr. Klepper. 
The gathering there was a grand mass meet- 
ing o^ the people for discussion, conference 
and action concerning the interests of the 
temperance cause. The meeting was not 
distiiiguished by the presence of any great 
speakers, nor was it at all formal in its char- 
acter ; but earnest men spoke as occasion 
seemed to require. The discussion of the 
subject was also carried on between individ- 
uals, and in groups, and the pledge was cir- 
culated and held ready for signature at all 
times. The Rushville Band was present, 
and added greatly to the interest of the 
occasion by the music they furnished. One 
of the members of the band — Grove Cun- 
ningham — was also a very acceptable and 
popular contributor to the entertainment by 
a liberal supply of temperance songs, which 
he gave from time to time, as needed to iur- 
nish the variety so desirable in a well-ordered 
programme. Thus the great meeting went 
on for two days ; nor were the physical wants 



i6o A Histoiy of 

of the company neglected. On the first day 
two tables, each sixty feet long, were spread 
with beef , pork and mutton, barbecued in the 
most approved style of the art, and furnished 
with the necessary accompaniments of a 
good, substantial meal. 

On the second day, after having preached, 
talked, sung, and drank cold water, with so 
much fervor, the company had become so 
greatly imbued with the spirit of the ele- 
ment, that the grand feast of the day con- 
sisted of water — melons. These had been 
brought in by the wagon load, and were cut 
and so arranged on the tables as to produce 
the best artistic effect from the variety of 
colors, so that the eye and palate were both 
feasted at once. 

Thus passed away one of the most mem- 
orable and unique temperance meetings ever 
held on Round Prairie. The immediate ef- 
fect of the meeting was, that the temperance 
mov^ement made nearly a clean sweep of the 
entire community ; scarcely any were left, at 
the close of the meeting, who had not signed 
the pledge ; some of the hardest cases were 
induced to sign the pledge, on trial, for a 
liinitcd time, and some of this class proved 
permanent recruits in the temperance ranks. 

Another effect of the meetings was, that 



Rottnd Prairie and Plymouth. 1 6 1 

the impulse given to the temperance cause 
here, spread out into the adjoining commu- 
nities. Young men took the pledge and 
carried it from house to house in " the re- 
gions beyond," and in this way secured re- 
cruits in larofe numbers. 

The influence of that meeting rolls on 
still, widening out as it flows down the 
stream of time. Its plainest manifestation 
at the present time, is seen in the strong 
element of temperance sentiment in the older 
citizens of the place, who were brought under 
its influence. The lessons of this movement 
are too apparent to need any comment. 
The means used to advance the cause were 
such as meet universal approval. No argu- 
ment is now made against 7noral suasion ; it 
is legitimate, always timely, and a great need 
now is, more of it. Another feature in the 
temperance movement, of which our history 
furnishes illustrative incidents, is that of 

Physical suasion. As this leads us upon 
debatable ground, we will state our position 
briefly before proceeding to detail the inci- 
dents. Physical suasion in promoting tem- 
perance, we class as among the desperate 
remedies, often an absolute necessity in des- 
perate cases. Blowing up a building with 
gunpowder, under ordinary circumstances, 



i62 A Histojy of 

would be a desperate act to commit upon 
the premises of a neighbor ; yet, if a great 
fire is sweeping down building after building 
in its resistless onward march, and the en- 
gines are found too weak to wrestle with the 
fire fiend, or the supply of water inadequate 
to quench the flames, — if, in short, ordinary 
means fail, or are too tardy in their action, 
prompt and thorough destruction of some 
valuable buildings may be the wisest and 
most economical measure that can be de- 
vised to resist the destroying element. The 
case supposed is a desperate one, and can 
only be met by a desperate remedy — a 
remedy that under ordinary circumstances 
would be altogether inadmissible. During 
the buildings of the railroad throuo-h here in 
1854-55, the heavy work about Flour Creek, 
and at the Big Fill just north of town, kept 
a large number of men employed for a long 
time in our immediate vicinity, A consider- 
able number of these were a class of Irish 
that took to whisky as naturally as young 
ducks take to water. And when they got 
access to the whisky, the next thing in order 
was a row, in which, if nobody was seriuusly 
hurt, things generally were so deranged, and 
the workmen so unfitted for duty, that loss 
to all parties was an inevitable result. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 16 



o 



CONTRACTOR WING TRIES PHYSICAL SUASION. 

There had been one row already at Flour 
Creek, in which, to say nothing of other re- 
sults, one man had been seriously stabbed. 
The elements were about ripe for another. 
An old Irish woman had just got a barrel of 
whisky on the ground, with which to turn 
an honest penny, and make an honest (?) 
living for herself, poor soul. For aught we 
know, it may have been her entire worldly 
possession. Certain it is, that for want of a 
shanty to put it in, she had stored it under 
the friendly shelter of a fallen tree top. 

The Sabbath day had come. Its immu- 
nity from labor, and a full barrel of whisky 
at the same time, formed a combination of 
circumstances that it needed no prophet to 
foresee portended a blaze. One of the con- 
tractors, Mr. Wing, saw the danger, and was 
ready to meet it. He did not think a tem- 
perance lecture and the circulation of the 
pledge would answer the purpose in that 
company, and at that time. Nor would 
legal process reach the case in time, as it 
could not even be commenced until the next 
day, when that particular fire would have 
burnt itself out. Some shorter, surer pro- 
cess must be devised. Calling around him 



164 A History of 

a few responsible citizens as a posse to guard 
against any interference by the Irishmen, 
and to show them that his course had the 
approval and support of the citizens, Mr. 
Wing appeared on the ground armed with 
a sledge hammer, a few vigorous blows with 
which, upon the head of the whisky barrel, 
placed the whisky where it was in no danger 
of doing further harm. The old woman had 
true Irish pluck, ready to fight for her rights, 
and while Mr. Wing plied her whisky barrel 
with the sledge hammer, she plied him with 
her shillelah, but without more serious dam- 
age than knocking off his hat and scattering 
the papers it contained. 

This was a peculiarly hard case, as esti- 
mated by a stickler for strict adherence to 
the law. A terrible outrage on the rights, 
and upon the property of a poor woman, 
and that upon the plea of being a remedy 
for simply presumptive evils, which might 
never have occurred. Exactly so ! And so 
might the fire have burned itself out before 
reaching the buildings blown up to stop its 
progress. They were destroyed only be- 
cause of a presumption that they and others 
might be burned if not so destroyed. In 
both these cases estimates can be made of 
damages sustained in the destruction of 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 165 

property, and the legalist who can or will 
see no further, may demand that his bill be 
paid. But this account is not yet closed, 
nor can it be until an estimate be made of 
what was saved by its destruction. This is 
a fair offset, and must be allowed in final 
settlement. The adjustment is simply de- 
ferred until the Great Judgment Day, which 
alone can close the account properly. 

Case No. 2. Physical stiasion vs. Clay- 
bourn Wilson. Mr. Wilson was a man of 
some means, and importance in society ; was 
backed by respectable, numerous and influ- 
ential friends ; a man of such intelligence, as 
that he " knew his rights," and was prepared 
to assert and defend them. Among the in- 
alienable rights which he claimed as a free 
and independent American citizen, was that 
of selling whisky to the Irish then at work 
on the railroad north of Plymouth. His 
plans were announced, and quite generally 
understood some time before their attempt- 
ed execution. The contractors, and the 
" boss," knowing well what turbulent ele- 
ments they had to deal with in their Irish 
laborers, were exceedingly anxious to have 
whisky kept away from them, and in this 
feeling they were sustained by a very great 
majority of the citizens. Wilson was ap- 



1 66 A History of 

prised of this feeling, and of the difficuhies 
likely to grow out of his business if he estab- 
lished it among such elements. To this he 
paid no regard whatev^er, taking the ground 
that here was a good chance to make money, 
and he was determined to improve it. Find- 
ino- remonstrance of no avail, he was then 
warned that he would not be permitted to 
sell whisky, as he proposed, under any cir- 
cumstances. This warning was met with a 
threat of shooting the first one who dared 
to interfere with him or his plans. Matters 
passed, along quietly for a few days, when 
one fine morning the "boss" sent notice to 
sonie of the citizens that Wilson was on 
hand with his whisky, and that he wanted a 
posse to come down and help him out of the 
dilemma. In two hours' time about forty 
men were on the ground from Plymouth. 
Wilson had unloaded two barrels of whisky 
and a keg of brandy, and had sent his team 
to Lamoine mill for lumber with which to 
build a shanty in which to carry on the busi- 
ness. Only the Sunday before, a two-gallon 
jug of whisky had been brought from Augus- 
ta, the use of which resulted in a row, in 
which a shanty was burned and the inmates 
maltreated, an attempt being made to kill 
the man, Pat Mullen ; this, however, was 
unsuccessful. 



Rotnid Prairie and Plymouth. 167 

In a long parley with Wilson, by the citi- 
zens, this incident was used to illustrate the 
danger and impropriety of the business he 
proposed to open, but without effect. Offers 
were made to hire him to remove his stock 
and desist from the business, also to buy his 
stock at wholesale prices and charges, but 
neither argument, entreaty, remonstrance, 
nor the offers made, produced any good 
effect. He had come there to sell whisky 
at retail rates, for the purpose of making 
money, and that was precisely what he in- 
tended to do. Moral suasion being exhaust- 
ed, one of the citizens seized an ax, while 
another placed himself in a position to see 
that Wilson did not execute his threat of 
shooting, and in a few minutes mother earth 
drank in the whole stock. A two-years law- 
suit followed in the wake of the occurrence, 
pending which the work went quietly on to 
completion without the aid of whisky. Nei- 
ther Wilson nor any other party cared to 
repeat the experiment that proved far from 
being so profitable as was expected. Wilson 
gained his case in court, but the people 
o;^ained a much greater one in the interest 
of temperance, with this advantage in their 
favor : the benefits of the verdict for the 
people followed promptly upon the tapping 
of the barrels with the ax, while with the 



1 68 A History of 

delay in Wilson's verdict, all his expected 
opportunity of profiting by it had passed 
away. 

Case No. j. The ladies and physical sua- 
sion. A whisky saloon was started, in 1858, 
by Thomas Braanan, on lot 5, block 22, south 
of Metzgar's, corner of Summer and Charles 
streets. He had the audacity not only to 
entice several boys into his den, and furnish 
them with free drinks fixed up so as to prove 
a tempting bait, but also to boast that he 
would make habitual drinkers of them. 

These facts coming to the knowledge of 
the mothers, very naturally excited both 
anxiety and indignation. Remonstrance 
was made, but without avail. Like most of 
his class, he was regardless of the feelings 
of others, and cared only for the present and 
prospective gains to be reaped from his cus- 
tomers. The ladies were in no mood to be 
trifled with, nor to be baffled in their deter- 
mination that such temptations should not 
be held out to their boys. A call was made 
for an impromptu meeting of the ladies of 
the town, at the house of one of the num- 
ber, who had been most aggrieved. The 
call was largely responded to, some of the 
number going directly from a female prayer 
meeting to the place of rendezvous. After 



Round Pj^airie and Plymo^ith. 1 69 

brief consultation, it was decided that sledge 
havimer logic was altogether the best adapt- 
ed to meet the pressing necessities of the 
case. It was a style of argument that even 
a saloon keeper, usually so impervious to 
argument of any kind, would be most likely 
to appreciate ; it would reach the most ten- 
der spot about him — his pocket, — and be 
well adapted to produce serious reflection 
and earnest meditation upon the uncertain- 
ties that attend — selling whisky in a tempe- 
rance community. 

The ladies armed themselves with axes, 
hatchets, hammers, etc., — implements well 
adapted to produce impressions if vigorously 
used, — and marched from the place of ren- 
dezvous on LcxiJigton street — a name cal- 
culated to stir brave hearts and nerve strong 
arms to valorous deeds — down to the field 
of action, so soon to be drenched in — whisky. 
The news had spread, and although the men 
were not invited guests, they came flocking 
in upon the ground in large numbers. The 
saloon keeper had got an intimation that a 
storm was brewing, and made what prepara- 
tion he could to meet it by fastening up 
-doors and windows, and taking refuge him- 
self outside. He had " sowed the wind," and 
now he was to "reap" the harvest — "the 



I 70 A Histo7'y of 

whirlwind." When the zvhirlwind of deter- 
mined women struck the frail fabric upon 
which he had built high hopes of profit, 
doors and windows went in with a crash. 
Talk about frail women, if you will ! but it 
may be as well to seek some other company 
than this for the purpose of illustration. 
Axes, hammers, etc., had done good service 
in securing ample ventilation of the prem- 
ises. The ladies then marched inside, and 
demolished barrels, demijohns, kegs, decan- 
ters, and all the paraphernalia of the estab- 
lishment. This done, they quietly dispersed 
to their various homes, and resumed their 
household duties as usual. 

The saloon keeper, poor fellow ! we can- 
not undertake to describe his feelings. That 
he was deeply moved no one will doubt. It 
must have been a sad spectacle to him to 
see his choice stock of liquors dripping- 
through the floor into the ground, and not 
a vessel left whole in which to gather up a 
parting drink. After his emotions had sub- 
sided, and he had time for reflection and 
consultation with some of his thirsty friends, 
it was resolved that a lawsuit would afford 
the best hope of consolation in his tribula- 
tion. He tried one suit, but that failed to 
satisfy him ; then another was brought, this 



Roimci Prairie and Plymouth. 1 7 1 

time away out in some inaccessible place on 
Bear Creek, where the settlers were sup- 
posed not to have strong prejudices against 
whisky. Here a verdict was obtained against 
a few of the ladies, but they having husbands, 
the only responsible parties in law, the judg- 
ment was a nullity, and here the matter 
ended, leaving the ladies virtually victors in 
both features of the contest. 

Crusading by legal suasion. We give a 
single illustrative incident under this head, 
to show what may be accomplished by hav- 
ing a man at the head of the municipal affairs 
of a little town like this, who believes that 
officers are, or ought to be, elected for the 
purpose of executing the lazus, and who is 
not afraid to take the responsibility of doing 
his duty. The lesson ought to be a valuable 
one to such officials as act apparently as 
though they were elected for no better pur- 
pose than to serve as ornamental figure- 
heads in an incorporated town. 

L. P. Bell, a desperado of the genus whis- 
ky seller, came from Mt. Sterling in 1865, 
and established himself in his peculiar busi- 
ness in Plymouth. He had received encour- 
agement from his friends, that at the next 
ensuing municipal election a board of trus- 
tees would be elected that would grant him 



172 A History of 

a license. And although this was contrary 
to all precedent, the apathy of the tempe- 
rance people justified the prediction, and 
nearly verified it as a fact. Bell, however, 
did not wait for the election and a license. 
He came here to sell whisky, and went at 
once about it, in a business way. He built 
a neat shop on the lot now occupied by Mr. 
Mesick's wagon shop, and fitted it up in 
good style for business, stocked it up with 
ah assortment of liquors, and opened out. 
The election came off, and it was generally 
supposed that the result verified the predic- 
tions of Bell's friends, and that a license, 
would be granted him. Temperance men 
began to wake up and rub their eyes open 
enough to see the situation. A petition 
was at once circulated against the proposed 
license, and signed by nearly three-fourths 
of the voters in the town. This was pre- 
sented to the new board immediately upon 
its organization for business. C. H. Cuyler, 
Esq., was a member of the board, and had 
been counted upon as a license man. But 
he took the ground that the petition repre- 
sented the will of the people, which they as 
officers were bound to respect. Mr. Cuy- 
ler's position turned the scale in the board, 
and the license was not orranted, and Bell 



Rottnd Prairie and Plyni02ith. i "jt^ 

was notified to quit the business. He dis- 
regarded the notice, went on selling, and 
expressed his determination to continue the 
business in defiance of the board and of the 
law. 

Mr. Cuylerwent quietly to work and gath- 
ered up the necessary proofs upon which to 
base an action at law, and commenced suit, 
which resulted in a dismissal of the case at 
the cost of the town. Cause of dismissal, — 
suit entered against wrong name. Ten days 
later, another suit was brought. In this the 
jury failed to agree. Case dismissed again 
at the cost of the town. In the later history 
of our town, such results have utterly dis- 
couraged our authorities, but not so with C. 
H. Cuyler, Esq. In less than twenty days 
he had Bell up for trial again, resulting, 
this time — the third effort — in a judgment 
against Bell for $75 and costs. Bell appeal- 
the case to Circuit Court, and went on sell- 
ing whisky as though nothing had happened. 
In less than ten days 'Squire Cuyler had 
him up again, for the fourth time — or rather 
in a suit which was a continuation of the 
second trial in which the jury had disagreed. 
The result of this suit was a judgment for 
$61.16^ and costs, against Bell. 

This later suit was followed by an exe- 



174 ^ History of 

cution, or attachment, levied upon Bell's 
property to secure the costs, etc. To the 
execution of this process Bell offered forci- 
ble resistance, arming and entrenching- him- 
self within his saloon, which he barricaded 
as strongly as possible. The constable, 
Thompson Burdett, called out a posse to 
assist in storming the works. Bell threat- 
ened to shoot the first man who entered. 
But shooting was exactly in the constable's 
line, Burdett being a butcher by profession, 
and Bell knew his man too well to try that 
game with him. A combined attack was 
made upon the front and rear of the works, 
that proved successful. An entry was made, 
and the officer took possession of the entire 
stock and fixtures. The place looked so 
desolate to Bell, now that his property was 
gone, — so much as though lightning had 
struck too close and too hard — that Ply- 
mouth suddenly lost its attractions for him 
as a place of business in his line. He went 
to Mr. Cuyler and acknowledged that he 
had been fairly and honorably beaten in the 
legal contest, and that "he — Bell — would 
quit if the board would." 

The board offered him as a compromise 
measure, which he accepted, — the payment 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. i 75 

of all costs, his note for $25 to the corpo- 
ration, in lieu of judgments, which he said 
he could not pay, claiming to be completely 
" broke," and that he leave the place. That 
note for $25 to the corporation, if not yet 
worn out, could probably be bought " cheap 
for cash." 

We are Inclined to comment somewhat 
severely upon the inefficiency of some of our 
officials more recently, In their failure to 
abate the whisky nuisance in some of our 
drug stores ; but we forbear, simply holding 
up for their emulation the example of C. H. 
Cuyler, Esq, and urging them, like him, to 
persevere until success shall crown their 
efforts. 

We wish to record, here, our earnest con- 
viction, that, with an energetic temperance 
man, with ordinary common sense, at the 
head of our municipal affairs, the whisky 
nuisance, in high places or low, can be 
abated. We do not believe there is any 
man now In the business here, or likely to 
engage in it, who would continue to risk his 
capital In a business that was liable to the 
vexations and expenses of a lawsuit every 
ten or twenty days, even though he gained 
nine out of everv ten suits brought. Law- 



T 76 A History of 

yer fees and incidental expenses, if imposed 
often enough, would wear out the patience 
of even a whisky seller. 

There is another consideration worthy of 
notice, in cases where the legal machinery 
does not work smoothly in the interests of 
temperance. The best class of customers 
that such institutions have, are men who do 
not wish to be brought before the public as 
witnesses. Their constant liability to such 
publicity as witnesses in whisky cases, would 
drive most of them away from an establish- 
ment liable to such constantly recurring; 
legal attacks, and in this way the revenues 
of the concern would be greatly diminished- 
Perseverance is a cardinal doctrine in our 
faith, and we have great confidence in its. 
value, if properly applied, in conducting the 
temperance reform by legal suasion. 

SECTION II. SOCIETIES. 

The Sons of Temperance formed an organ- 
ization here in 1850. This proved a popu- 
lar and successful society for a few years,, 
gathering in a large number of mem.bers,. 
and exertinor for the time beino-, a decided 
influence upon the cause of temperance. 
But it died and received an honorable burial ;, 
in other words, having valuable property in, 



RoiLud Prairie and Plymouth. i 7 7 

its possession, this was sold and the proceeds 
distributed among the members, and the 
society was then regularly disbanded. 

The Good Templars were organized in 
1862, and for a time were prosperous as a 
society, though they failed to reach the point 
of influence upon the the temperance cause 
that had been attained by their predecessors, 
the Sons of Temperance. The strong points 
in this society were its social and literary 
features, making it for a considerable time a 
popular place of resort for young people, and 
a number of older ones also. 

Dr. Jewett, for forty years past one of the 
ablest lecturers, and one of the most earnest 
workers in the temperance cause in this 
country, has recorded his deliberate opinion 
that the attempt to advance the temperance 
reform by means of secret societies haS' 
proved substantially a failure — that they 
have retarded rather than aided the cause. 

We think the whole case may be put in a 
nutshell. The first great want is an enlight- 
ened public sentiment; and no agency ever 
has or will be devised so powerful or so well 
adapted to accomplish this result as the 
churches of the land. The second great 
want is that the public sale of liquor be 
placed under the ban of the law as a nui- 



lyS A History of 

sance to be summarily abated whenever and 
wherever it shows its hideous head. When 
these two agencies are brought up to their 
full measure of efficiency, the temperance 
millennium will have come. We are glad 
to note the fact that our brethren of the M. 
E. Church in this place have organized a 
church temperance society. There ought 
to be such a one in every church in the 
place, and in the land — " a wheel within a 
wheel." The inner wheel may do a good 
work, even though it should run but tempo- 
rarily, while the outer one — -the church — 
will grind on while time shall last. 

Plymo2ith Lodge, No. 2S6, A. F. and A. 
Masons. This lodge was chartered October 
7th, 1858. The following were the officers: 
viz., Jonas Aleshire, W. M. ; Claiborn H. 
Dodd, S. W., and Lemuel Johnson, J. W. 
Number of members, sixteen. Regular 
•communications, on Saturday preceding full 
moon in each month. 

Total membership, September ist, 1875, 
fifty-seven. 

Samuel K. Gaylord, W^, M. ; Henry G. 
Metzgar, Sec'y. 

Plymouth Chapter, No. log, Eastern Star. 
This institution was chartered, May iith, 
•1872, with the following officers: viz., Mr. 



Round Praii'ie and Plymouth. i 79 

W. H. H. Shreckengaust, W. C; Mrs. H. 
N. GilUs, W. M., and Miss Callie Eldson, 
A. M. 

Meetings, second Friday in each month. 
Number of members, September ist, i<S75, 
nfty-five. 

The Popttlation of Plymouth. With the 
aid of the official school census of the dis- 
trict, we are able to give an accurate count 
of the citizens of the town for October ist, 

1875- 

There are, at this date, within the corpo- 
rate limits of Plymouth, one hundred and 
thirty-seven (137) families. In these fami- 
lies there are 

Over 21 years of age, 311) 

Under 21 " " " 320 

Total population 630 

SECTION III. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

These sketches embrace the first settlers 
that located upon Round Prairie, and also 
the founders of the town of Plymouth, in- 
cluding the party of three — Matthew Mel- 
ton, Allen Melton and John Trammel — who 
came to Plymouth in 1831 ; Brummel Sapp 
and David Manlove, who located near Bir- 
mingham the following winter ; and Colonel 
James Clark, J. W. Crockett, L. A. Cook, 



i8o A History of 

and Benjamin Terrell, who were the found- 
ers of the town of Plymouth in 1836. 

Matthew Melton was born in Nash Coun- 
ty, North Carolina, May 17th, 1767. He 
was married in 1789 to Chloe Williams, a 
daughter of Captain William Williams, who 
served in the war of the Revolution. 

In 1797 Mr. Melton determined on going 
West, and we feel justified in saying that he 
arrived at this conclusion entirely independ- 
ent of the advice of Horace Greeley. As- 
widely spread as that terse sentence of ad- 
vice uttered by H. G. : viz., " Go west, young 
man," may have been, we are sure it had 
no influence upon Mr. Melton ; he was im- 
pelled by other motives. His love for the 
wild adventures of a hunter's life led him to 
plunge into the wilderness of eastern Ten- 
nessee, where his chosen tastes might be 
fully gratified for many years before the ad- 
vancing tread of civilization should again 
drive the game out of his reach. From his 
home in North Carolina he traveled in a 
northwesterly course, following up the gen- 
eral direction of the streams — nature's own 
pathways — until he passed the divide and 
reached Clinch River, whose waters flow to 
the southwest. Here, in the extreme south- 
western part of Virginia, he remained for 



Round Prairie and Plynioiith. i8i 

two years. From thence he pushed into the 
wilderness to the southwest, a distance of 
not less than two hundred miles, in an air 
line — probably three hundred by the route 
traveled. 

This journey was commenced with a two- 
liorse cart as a conveyance for his household 
•effects and family, this now consisting of his 
wife and two children ; but long before 
reaching his destination, the cart had to be 
abandoned for want of a road, and the goods 
were packed upon one of the horses, and the 
family upon the other, Mr. Melton on foot, 
with his gun, leading the way. Often he had 
to cut his way with his hunting knife, for 
long distances, through the cane-brakes, in 
order to proceed. He finally reached Smith 
County, Tennessee, and located on a tribu- 
tary of the Cumberland River, called Dry 
Fork. Here he found such luxuries as 
bear's meat, bear's oil, and wild honey, in 
great abundance. 

Notwithstanding the rich luxuries they 
enjoyed, a slight change in diet was soon 
found desirable, and after completing their 
cabin, Mr. Melton built a canoe and paddled 
it down to Haysborough, near where Nash- 
ville now stands, and procured a cargo of 
corn, with which he returned home, making 



1 82 A History of 

a round trip of nearly 150 miles. The corn 
was prepared for use by pounding in a rude 
wooden mortar — the mortar made by burn- 
ing a cavity in the top of a stump, the pestle 
suspended above on a spring-pole. When 
the corn was sufficiently beaten up, it was 
mixed with bear's oil and cooked with a piece 
of bear's meat, making a luxury that we. 
poor mortals, may long for in vain. The 
first winter that Mr. Melton spent on Dry 
Fork, one hundred and four black bears fell 
victims to his skill in hunting, besides other 
game not enumerated. Bear skins were 
worth about fifty cents each at that time, at 
his nearest market. 

Mr. Melton remained on Dry Fork for 
twenty-three years, and then removed to 
McMinnville, Tennessee, where he lived 
seven years. In 1830 he sold out in Ten- 
nessee, and came to Morgan County, Illi- 
nois. In the fall of the following year he 
came to Plymouth and made the first per- 
manent improvement on Round Prairie, 
settling upon it, as we have stated in chap- 
ter III., in 1832. 

Mr. Melton was the father of thirteen 
children, four of whom died in infancy. He 
was an old man when he came to Plymouth, 
and there is but little to note concerning 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 183: 

him after his location here, that has not been 
previously stated. He died February gth^ 
1845, ^t the age of seventy-eight years. His- 
wife survived him nine years, dying in 1854;. 
aged eighty-four years. 

Allen Melton, son of the above, was born 
on Dry Fork, Smith County, Tennessee^ 
May 2d, 1808. He came with his father to 
Illinois in 1830, being then twenty-two years 
old. He inherited his father's love for the 
chase, and was a great hunter for many 
years after coming to Illinois — indeed, con- 
tinued to be so while game was plenty 
enough to justify its pursuit. His entire 
life, from the above date, has been passed 
upon Round Prairie. While there are many 
older persons than he in the community, he 
is fairly entitled to the appellation of " The 
Oldest Inhabitant," being the only resident 
survivor of the first settlers. He says of 
himself that " while deer were plenty he was 
too much absorbed in their pursuit to think 
of the dearsl' consequently he remained un- 
miarried until late in life. Finally, at the 
mature age of fifty-five, he married Miss 
Margaret Jane Bonham, the happy event 
being consummated in a patriotic way, July 
4th, 1863. The fruit of this marriage has 
been five children, of whom three are living. 



184 ^ History of 

" Uncle Allen" has been referred to in the 
previous pages of our history so often, di- 
rectly and indirectly, that more extended 
•notice here is unnecessary. 

John Trammel. Of the place or date of 
Mr. Trammel's birth we have no knowledge. 
The first introduction we are able to give 
our readers to him, is upon his acquaintance 
with the Melton family in Tennessee, where 
he married Mary, daughter of Matthew Mel- 
ton, about the year 1825. 

He came with the Melton family to Illi- 
nois in 1830, and to Plymouth in 1831, pre- 
empted the northwest quarter of section 36. 
and settled upon it the following year. This 
claim was afterwards transferred to Colonel 
James Clark, and Mr. Trammel located upon 
the northeast quarter of section 30, township 
4 N. 4, W., in McDonnough County, where 
he remained until 1869. He then sold out 
and removed with his family, and with a 
number of his neighbors, to Neosha County, 
Kansas, where he still resides. 

Brujnmel Sapp was born in Davidson 
County, North Carolina, November -, 1790. 
He was married in 18 15 to Elizabeth Wier. 
He came to Illinois with his family in 1831, 
stopping, for a time, at Rushville, where he 
arrived in November of the year just named. 



Round Prairie and Ply iiioiLth. 185 

His family remained in Rushville the follow- 
ing winter, while he came to Birmingham 
and built a cabin, and made the necessary- 
preparations for a permanent location. In 
April of the following year, he moved with 
his family to his new home, the place being 
that now occupied by his son, S. R. Sapp, 
Here Mr. Sapp remained until his death, 
■which occurred March 31st, 1873. 

Mr. Sapp was the father of eleven chil- 
dren — nine sons and two daughters. Of 
these, eight were born in North Carolina, 
and three in Illinois. Seven of the number 
are still living. 

David Manlove was born in Davidson 
County, North Carolina, December 27th, 
1795. He married Keziah Pickett, but the 
date of this event we have failed to obtain. 
He devoted himself to teaching for some 
years before leaving the south. He came 
to Illinois in 1828, stopping at Rushville, 
where his brother, Jonathan D. Manlove, 
had settled in the spring of 1825. (J. D. 
Manlove writes : " I am the only man in this 
county — Schuyler — that was an adult when 
I settled near where Rushville is, in the 
spring of 1825.") David Manlove came to 
Birmingham with Mr. Sapp and located on 
the adjoining farm — now J. J. Hippie's — 

13 



1 86 A History of 

about the same time, In the spring of 1832. 
He was engaged for a time in the mill en- 
terprise in Birmingham. He died at Fort 
Scott, Kansas, in 1864. 

John W. Crockett was born near Nicho- 
lasville, nine miles from Lexington, Jassa- 
mine County, Kentucky, March 17th, 1791. 
He was married in April, 181 1, to Louisa 
Ann Bullock, of Greensburg, Kentucky. 

Mr. Crockett was a volunteer in the war 
of 1812-15 — a quartermaster in the forces- 
raised by Governor Shelby of Kentucky — 
was in the army of General Harrison at the 
battle of the Thames, at which Tecumseh 
was killed. 

In 1822 Mr. Crockett removed to Simp- 
son County, Kentucky, where he resided 
several years ; from there he removed to 
Barron County, where he remained a few 
years, and came from there to Illinois in 
1835, locating in Plymouth. He bought the 
claim of Allen Melton to the northwest quar- 
ter of section 36, and lived for a time in the 
cabin which then stood upon the square, in 
the northeast corner of the park. 

After several years' residence in Plymouth, 
Mr. Crockett returned to Kentucky, and died 
at Paducah in 1853. 

Colonel James Clark. Of him we have 



Ro2i7td P}'airie and Plymouth. 187 

but little definite information — a letter to- 
his son for such information failing to elicit- 
any response. 

He was born in Virginia, near Charlotts- 
ville, and removed from thence to Kentucky. 
He married Maria McCalla, a sister of Rev. 
William McCalla, a Presbyterian minister 
of some note. Both Colonel Clark and his 
wife were cousins of Mr. Crockett, and for 
several years they lived in the same neigh- 
borhood in Kentucky, and emigrated to 
Illinois at the same time, locating together 
in Plymouth, Colonel Clark buying out the 
claim of John Trammel to the northwest 
quarter of section 36. 

Colonel Clark was a lawyer by profession, 
and had followed its practice for a number 
of years in Kentucky. 

He lived but a short time after coming to 
Illinois, dying in the fall of 1837, and was 
buried upon his own premises, in a grave 
that has been so neglected that it would be 
difficult, if not impossible, now, to find it. 

Lamarcus A. Cook was born in Plymouth,. 
Connecticut, May 12th, 1794, and was mar- 
ried to Maretta Adkins. Mr. Cook was 
raised a farmer, and has followed that busi- 
ness nearly all his life. There was an excep- 
tion of three or four years while he lived at 



i88 A History of 

the east, during which he was engaged in 
selHnof clocks. He commenced this business 
as a result of selling a piece of real estate, 
for which he was paid in clocks. After sell- 
ing these, he continued in the trade, as above 
stated, traveling quite extensively during the 
time, in the States of New Hampshire, New 
Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The style of clock 
sold by Mr. Cook was the wooden mantel 
clock, that preceded the era of brass clocks in 
this country. These were sold at that time 
at about an average of twenty-five dollars 
each, and a year's credit given, for which peri- 
od the clocks were warranted. This mode of 
doing business required that his trips over 
his various routes of travel should be re- 
peated for the purpose of making collections. 
These were made rapidly, often at the rate 
of sixty to seventy miles a day. His man- 
ner of treating his horses on these long 
drives was peculiar, and may be of interest 
to some of our readers. His plan was to 
water them about every five miles and feed 
from a large handful to a quart of oats 
about every ten miles, making no stops for 
these purposes of more than four or five to 
eight or ten minutes. He says his horses 
were always fresh and in good condition, 
under his longest and hardest drives, while 
treated in this way. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 89 

Mr. Cook was enrolled in a military com- 
pany during the war of 1812-15, and held 
subject to duty, but was never called inta 
actual service. 

In the spring of 1835, in company with 
Messrs. Adkins, Burton, Terrell, and others, 
Mr. Cook came to Illinois. They came via. 
Philadelphia, Pittsburg, and St. Louis. Here 
the company separated, Mr. Cook and Mr. 
Adkins going up the Illinois River to Peo- 
ria and thence to Farmington, and the oth- 
ers by way of Ouincy to Mendon. This 
division of the company was merely for 
convenience in obtaining temporary accom- 
modations for their families, as they had 
decided to locate in the same neighborhood. 
After prospecting a portion of the summer, 
they decided upon Round Prairie as their 
chosen home, and settled here in the fall of 
1835. M^"- Cook still resides at his chosen 
home of forty years ago. He is now in his 
eighty-second year, and is apparently vigor- 
ous enough to last until his centennial. 

Benjamin Terrell wtk's, born at Watertown, 
Connecticut, February 14th, 1793, and was 
married to Electa Cook, September 21st, 
181 5. Mr. Terrell was a machinist, but 
spent most of his life, at the east, in making 
clocks. 

Eli Terry was one of the first, if not the 



IQO A History of 

first, to establish the manufacture of wooden 
•clocks in this country on an extensive scale. 
His first venture was in making three of the 
tall clocks that would reach from floor to 
•ceiling, the works of which he whittled out 
with a jack-knife. These clocks were sold 
at forty dollars each. Making clocks with 
a jack-knife, as in Germany, was too slow 
a process for Yankee enterprise, and Mr. 
Terry called to his assistance the mechanical 
skill of Benjamin Terrell to aid him in mak- 
ing machinery to supplant the jack-knife in 
doino- this work. In makinor such machine- 
ry, and in the manufacture of clocks, Mr. 
Terrell worked for a number of years for 
Mr. Terry, and also for Seth Thomas, whose 
•establishment at Plymouth Hollow was 
started not far from the same time with Mr. 
Terry's at Terry ville. Mrs. Terrell also 
worked at the clock business in her younger 
days, her work being the painting of the 
figures and ornamental work upon the dials. 
Her acquaintance with Mr. Terrell was 
formed while both were working in the clock 
factory. (We will state here, that, after 
Chauncey Jerome established the manufac- 
ture of brass clocks, and reduced the busi- 
ness to the most thorough system by letting 
out the making of each distinct piece in sep- 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 191 

arate contracts, he succeeded in reducing 
the net cost of making a complete clock to 
•one dollar.) 

As we have stated in our sketch of Mr. 
Cook, Mr. Terrell located with his family on 
Round Prairie in 1835, buying out the claim 
<3f Matthew Melton, adjoining that of Mr. 
Cook on the west. Here he made the at- 
tempt to become a farmer, but Mrs. Terrell 
-says, "he found that a clock maker was not 
the best material of which to make a farmer." 
In 1839 h^ moved to the vicinity of Ouincy, 
to aid in the establishment of the Mission 
Jnstihite and to give his children the benefit 
of an education in it. He remained here 
imtil this enterprise was abandoned on ac- 
•count of the death of its principal founders, 
Drs. Nelson and Hunter. 

Mr. Terrell worked for some time after- 
■wards at his business as machinist in Ouinc)". 
After the building of the railroad, he again 
located in Plymouth. In 1865 Mr. and Mrs. 
Terrell went to Shullsburg, Wisconsin, to 
make their home with their then recently 
widowed daughter, Mrs. Reynard. Here 
Mr. Terrell d^ied March nth, 1868. Mrs. 
Terrell, with the daughter just referred to, 
are again residents here amid the changed 
scenes of their early western home. Mrs. 



192 /I History of 

Terrell is now at the advanced age of eighty- 
four years. 

Of the subjects of these sketches we will 
add, that while Mr. Terrell lived at the east,, 
his church relations were with the Episcopal' 
Church, but after his removal to Round 
Prairie, he with his family, and also Mr. 
Cook and family, were among the original 
and active members of the Contrreofational 
Church. Mrs. Colonel Clark and Mrs. J. W. 
Crockett were amonor the origfinal members, 
of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Brummel 
Sapp was a member of the M. E. Church. 

John Trammel and Allen Melton united 
with the M. E. Church during the revival of 
1 84 1. Allen Melton has recently changed 
his relation to the Congregational Church., 
Mrs. Matthew Melton was a member of the 
Baptist Church. 

A GOOD PLACE IN WHICH TO CrixOW OLD. 

It might be inferred from the low rate of 
mortality, stated elsewhere in these pages at 
eight and a half persons per thousand annu- 
ally, that people live to a good old age, or 
move away when they get tired of living — 
on Round Prairie. (This sentence may be 
transposed if the reader prefers.) 

A {q.\n facts which will be of interest irfc 
this connection ma\" be iriven. 



Round Prairie and PlymoiLth. 1 93. 

There are about two hundred and seventy- 
five families livinof on Round Prairie, includ- 
ing Plymouth and liirmingham. In these 
families there are sixty persons now living, 
whose united ages amount to four thousand 
two hundred and thirty (4,230) years. If 
these sixty persons had lived in a single line 
of succession, the line would have reached 
back to the days of Noah. Skeptical reader, 
digest that fact thoroughly before you again 
express a doubt as to the authenticity of 
records extending over a period covered by 
sixty generations such as Round Prairie 
now presents a sample of. 

The average age of the sixty persons al- 
luded to is seventy years and six months.. 
Eight of them are over eighty years of age ; 
twenty-two are between seventy and eighty, 
and thirty are between sixty and seventy 
years of age. 



C H A P T E R X I V . 

It is our purpose in this chapter, to finish^ 
up our record of the various churches in this 
community, taking up those previously men- 
tioned, at the point where we left off, as 
nearly as possible, and introducing the oth- 
ers in their order. 



J 94 ^ History of 

The Methodist Episcopal Church stands 
first in order of time. The facts concerning 
this organization, previously stated, were so 
brief that we repeat them here for the pur- 
pose of making this record as complete as 
possible in itself We may as well state 
here, that, on account of the want of any 
records of this church during a considerable 
portion of its early history, we have found 
great difficulty in gathering such facts as we 
should like to give concerning it ; and for 
the same reason we have not entire confi- 
dence in the absolute accuracy of all the 
statements we have made; the weakest part 
of the record being the list of preachers we 
•have attempted to give, extending through 
a period of over forty years. The part of 
this period from 1835 to 1850 has been es- 
pecially difficult, and may be more or less 
imperfect. We have consulted the best 
authorities accessible, and have done the 
best we could under the circumstances. 

The first class in connection with the M. 
E. Church, was organized by Rev. Henry 
Somers, of the Rushville Circuit, near the 
•close of the conference year ending in the 
fall of 1833. This class was formed at the 
house of Mr. William Edwards, on the south 
side of the prairie;, now the Swicegood place, 



Round Prairie and Ply nioiiiJi. 195 

and consisted of six members : viz., Mr. 
William Edwards and his wife, Mr, Edward 
Wade and his wife, and a Mr. Philips and 
his wife. 

This society remained in the Rushville 
•Circuit until about 1835, and was supplied 
during this time, by Rev. Peter R. Boring, 
with preaching once in two weeks, for the 
•conference year of 1833-4; by the Rev'ds 
Pitner and Williams during 1834-5, and 
Rev. T. N. Ralston the following year. 

With the commencement of the confer- 
ence year 1836, Round Prairie was placed 
in the Pulaski Circuit, and this arrangement 
continued until 1841. The preachers for 
this period, from the best information ob- 
tainable, were Rev'ds Window, Richmond, 
Isaac Poole, Dr. Strong — or perhaps Will- 
iam H. Taylor, and William Royal. 

The preaching place, up to this time, re- 
mained at the house of William Edwards, 
■on the south side of the prairie. In the year 
.1841 the revival occurred in connection with 
meetings held at Byrd Smith's, of which pre- 
vious mention has been made. During this 
meeting the place at which circuit preaching 
was held was changed to Byrd Smith's, and 
so continued until the building of the North 
School House in 1847. Following this 



196 A History of 

change in the place of worship, Round Prai- 
rie was changed to the Macomb Circuit, and 
so remained until in 1846. The preachers 
for this period were Rev'ds William Piper, 
Pillsbury, Elzie Clark, — Cartwright^ 

— Ford, and Hadley and Applebee. 

The following year, t 847-8, Round Prairie 
was placed upon the Carthage Circuit — 
preachers for this year, Rev'ds Applebee and 
Atkinson. The next year, this appointment 
was again placed upon the Macomb Circuit. 

— Clark and Cartwright, preachers. 

From this time, 1849-50, Round Prairie 
was again placed upon the Pulaski Circuit, 
and so remained until 1853-4. The preach- 
ers for this period were Rev. Greenbury Gar- 
ner, who remained in charge for two years; 
Rev. William Piper, and Rev. — Cromwell.. 
The regular appointment for this period was 
at the North School House, although meet- 
ings were sometimes held in Plymouth. We 
may as well state here, that the North School 
House was continued as a regular preaching 
place until about 1862. 

In 1853 this society built their house of 
worship. It is located just outside the 
original town plat, north of Lexington 
street. The building is of wood, thirty by 
forty feet, and will seat about one hundred 



Round Prairie and Ply7}wiitli. 197 

and seventy-five persons. The bell was 
procured in 1869. The parsonage, located 
at the rear of the church, was built during 
the pastorate of Rev. George Montgomery, 
whose term of service commenced in the 
fall of 1854 and continued two years. This 
is the only church in the place that has a 
parsonage. 

With the building of the church and 
parsonage Plymouth was raised to new im- 
portance as a center of influence, and of 
operations in the general work of the M. E. 
Church. It was made the headquarters of 
the Plymouth Circuit in 1853, '^'^'^ so con- 
tinued until in 1869. The appointments 
durinor this arrano^ement of the circuit were 
so varied from time to time that we shall 
not attempt to particularize. The nearer 
and more permanent ones were at the Mt, 
Vernon School House, three miles west ; at 
the North School House, and at the East 
School House, in the Twidwell neighbor- 
hood. About 1862 the two former were 
dropped for the purpose of concentrating 
the work in this vicinity at the center. Ply- 
mouth Circuit has also embraced Bowen, 
Chili Center, Augusta, and other points. 

During the period included in the history 
of Plymouth Circuit, 1853 — 1868-9, ^^ 



198 A Histo7y of 

preachers were as follows : viz., Rev'ds Will- 
iam M'Elfresh, George Montgomery two 
years, William Barton and Hughes same 
year, — Hughes, — Rutledge, John Kirk- 
patrick two years, Jacob Shunk two years,. 
— Sennock two years, — Hughes, D. H, 
Hatton, William Avery, — Hungerford. 

For the next three years, 1869-70 — 1871 
-2, Plymouth was placed upon the Bowen 
Circuit, with the following preachers : viz. 
Rev. Thomas C. Wolf, who died soon after 
his location here ; the remainder of that 
conference year the church was supplied by. 
Rev. C. Powell and Rev. J. K. Miller, both 
of Bowen ; the following year Rev. J. K. 
Miller was the preacher in charge, he being 
succeeded, the next year, by Rev. A. G 
Smith. 

In 1872 Plymouth was made a station, 
and Rev. — Bardrick was sent to fill the 
appointment. By some mishap, there was 
a slip or a break in some of the machinery 
connecting the conference with the church,. 
so that Mr. Bardrick made but a short stay. 
He was succeeded by Rev. David Teed, a 
talented but eccentric man, who had but 
indifferent success in mending the machin- 
ery, but staid his time out, dividing a consid- 
erable share of it, however, between the M, 
E. and Conereeational churches. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 1 99 

In 1873 Plymouth was again placed in 
Bowen Circuit, Rev. C. Powell preacher in 
charge. 

In 1874 it was again made a station, under 
Rev. James H. Dickens, pastor, and so re- 
mains for the year 1875-6, Rev. R. G. Hobbs,. 
pastor. 

The membership of this church is x\o\\^ 
one hundred and nine. 

The Congregational and Presbyterian 
Churches. We have traced the history of 
these two organizations, already, up to the 
close of Rev. Milton Kimball's labors in 
1850. As we have previously stated, during 
his ministry the two societies worshiped to- 
ofether in the Conm-eorational Church, and 
united in Mr. Kimball's support. This joint 
arrangement continued until 1854. Rev. 
John G. Rankin supplied the churches for a 
few months during the winter of 1850-51. 
He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Leonard, an 
Evangelist, who labored here during the 
summer of 1851. His labors resulted in a 
general revival that reached all classes, and 
resulted in accessions to all the churches 
then organized in this vicinity. 

During the years 1852 and 1853 — the re- 
maining period of the joint arrangement — 
Rev. N. P. Coltrin supplied the societies 
with preaching. From this period the his- 



200 A History of 

tory of the two societies diverge. The Rev. 
Mr. Coltrin remained pastor of the Congre- 
gational Church. 

The new building for this church was put 
up in 1854, on lots i and 2, block 8, Bell, 
Rook & Johnson's addition, corner of East 
Main and Church streets, fronting on 
Church. The elevated location of the Con- 
gregational Church, and of the school build- 
ing on the opposite side of Church street, 
together with their comparative isolation 
from other buildings, makes them by far the 
most prominent buildings to be seen in ap- 
proaching the town from nearly all direc- 
tions, except from the west. The building 
is a neat frame, 35 by 60 feet, surmounted 
with a belfry, and having a bell from Me- 
neely's foundry, Troy, N. Y. 

The seating capacity of the audience room 
is about two hundred and seventy persons, 
with a gallery that will furnish accommoda- 
tions for about thirty more : total seating 
■capacity, say three hundred persons. Rev. 
N. P. Coltrin's labors as pastor of the church 
closed in August, 1857. Rev. William B. 
Atkinson succeeded in January, 1858, and 
remained until January, 1861. 

In June, 1861, Rev. William A. Chamber- 
lin commenced his pastoral labors with the 



Round Prairie and PlyiuoiLth. 201 

-church, and continued until November, 1864. 
During the last year of his ministry here, the 
Presbyterian Church united with the Con- 
gregational Church in his support, the ser- 
vices being held on alternate Sabbaths at 
each house of worship. In June, 1865, Rev. 
J, D, Parker commenced his labors as pastor 
of the church, and remained about one year. 
He was succeeded in October, 1866, by Rev. 
C. M. Barnes, who remained until January, 

1869. In April, 1869, Rev. H. B. Swift came 
to Plymouth as a candidate for the pulpit of 
the Presbyterian Church, but was employed 
by the two societies jointly for one year, ser- 
vices being held in the two houses of wor- 
ship alternately, six months in each. Rev. 
A. E. Arnold succeeded Mr. Swift in April, 

1870. Under his ministry the joint arrange- 
ment of the two churches continued for 
one year. Rev. Mr. Arnold remaining as pas- 
tor of the Congregational Church until No- 
vember, 1873. At the close of his ministry 
here. Rev. J. D. Baker, the present incum- 
bent, commenced his pastoral labors. 

There have been, in connection with this 
church since its organization, two hundred 
and eighty (280) persons. Of this number, 
one hundred and thirty-seven (137) have 
ibeen dismissed by letter. Thirty-one (31) 
14 



202 A History of 

have removed without letters. Thirty-t\vo> 
(32) have died, and three (3) have been- 
suspended. Total dismissals, etc., two hun- 
dred and three (203). Present resident 
membership, seventy-seven ij']). 

The Presbyterian Chtirch, after a seven- 
years stay in its place of birth, Plymouth, 
without a home of its own, and a ten-years 
residence abroad with its sister, the Congre- 
gational Church of Round Prairie, deter- 
mined to return to its native place and set 
up house-keeping for itself. 

The first step taken towards securing a 
home in Plymouth, was made January loth, 
1854, in the election of a board of trustees, 
who proceeded at once to secure a site and 
make arrangrements for buildinof. The site 
includes lots i and 2, block 17, corner of 
West Main and Lexington streets. The 
building, a substantial frame, 34 by 54 feet, 
with belfry, was put up in 1854, but not so 
far completed as to be fit for use until 1857,- 
when it was opened for worship, but in an 
unfinished state. In 1869 the outside ap- 
pearance of the building, which at that time 
would compare favorably with churches 
generally in small country towns, was sacri- 
ficed for the purpose of securing greater 
internal convenience. The belfry was taken 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 203 

down and an addition of twenty feet made 
at the east end of the building, and the en- 
trance changed to the south side, at the in- 
tersection of the addition with the old part 
of the building-. This addition furnishes 
convenient infant class and library rooms 
on the ground floor, which are so arranged 
as to be readily thrown open to the main 
audience room — adding about two-fifths to 
the capacity of the building when necessary 
to accommodate increased numbers. Above 
these two rooms is a convenient lecture 
room, arranged to accommodate about 
seventy-five persons. The audience room,, 
as now seated, will accommodate about two 
hundred and forty persons. 

The building is still incomplete, the plan 
contemplating the erection of a tower and 
belfry on the north side, directly opposite 
the present entrance. Through this tower 
would be an additional entrance, greatly 
facilitatinof egress from the buildincj in an 
emergency. 

During the years 1854 and 1855 the 
church was supplied with preaching by the 
Rev. George D. Young, of Augusta, services 
being held on Sabbath afternoons at the 
Methodist house of worship, the Presbyte- 
rian house being then unfinished. In the 



CJ04 ^ History of 

spring of 1857 Rev. William A. Hendrick- 
•son was employed as stated supply, and 
continued his labors here until the fall of 
1359, During the year 1863 the church 
was supplied once in three weeks by Rev. J. 
L.Jones, Presbyterial missionary. In 1864, 
under the ministerial labors of Rev. William 
A. Chamberlin, union services were held 
with the Conoreo^ational Church alternateh' 
from one house of worship to the other on 
alternate Sabbaths, each society maintaining 
its own Sabbath school in the mean time. 
In 1865 Rev. Isaac T. Whittemore was em- 
'ployed as stated supply, and remained with 
the church until the spring of 1869. Im- 
mediately succeeding his labors a joint 
arrangement was again made with the Con- 
gregational Church, under Rev. H. B. Swift 
•services being held for six months at each 
house alternately, and the Sabbath schools 
united under one management. Rev. Mr. 
Swift remained one year, and was succeeded 
by Rev. A. E. Arnold, under whose ministry 
the joint arrangement was continued until 
March, 1871. In the fall of this year Rev. 
A. S. Powell supplied the church, remaining 
until the next spring. In October, 1872, 
Rev. W\ F. Cellar, the present incumbent, 
commenced his labors with the church. 



Round Pi^airie and Plynionth. 205 

The growth of the Presbyterian Church 
In numbers has not been such as would 
have been expected if it had been able to 
secure resfular ministerial services. There 
have been connected with it, since its organ- 
ization in November, 1836, up to July ist,, 
1875, ^" ^1^' ^^^ hundred and forty-five (245)? 
persons. Of these eighty-nine (89) have 
been regularly dismissed by letter, forty-two 
(42) have removed without letters of dismis- 
sion, eighteen (18) are dead, and four (4)) 
have been subjects of trial and suspension. 
Total dismissals, etc., one hundred and fifty- 
three (153), making the present membership., 
July, 1875, ninety-two (92). 

The Congregation of Disciples, or Chris- 
tians, in Plymouth, was organized February 
18, 1855, the services being held in the 
house of the M. E. Church, and conducted 
by Elder J. R. Ross. 

The original members of the congrega- 
tion were as follows : viz., David Palmer, 
Susan Palmer, John Ritchey, Zerelda Ritch- 
ey, Jonas Myers, Margaret Myers, J. W.. 
Bell, A. B. Moore, John Madison, Rebecca. 
Madison, John Hendrickson, David Wade,. 
Nancy Wade, Edward Wade, Ann Hooton,. 
Wm, H. Hooton, Isapena Buyher, Thomp- 
son Burdett, Malinda Burdett, John Ades, 



2o6 A History of 

Elizabeth Ades, Phebe Ades, John Stark, 
Uphema Myers, Nancy Browning, Sarah 
Moore, Frances Ritchey, Mary Ritchey, 
Total, twenty-eight (28). 

Of these twelve (12) are still resident 
members. Nine have died, four have re- 
moved, two have been dismissed by letter, 
and one excluded. 

The membership of this society has varied 
at different periods, in numbers, from the 
above original number up to about one 
hundred and twenty (120) persons. The 
number of resident members is now one 
hundred and three (103). 

The house of zuorship belonging to this 
society was built in 1866. It is located on 
the east part of lot i, block 15, at the corner 
of East Main and Virginia streets, fronting 
on Virginia. It is a neat, substantial frame 
building, 30 by 40 feet, and will seat two 
hundred and ten (210) persons. 

The regular ministers have been as fol- 
lows : viz., James R. Ross, H. Young, E. 
Browning, E. J. Lampton, George Brewster, 
James Stark, and Carroll Stark — the latter 
being now the preacher. 

The Baptist Chiireh of Plymouth was 
organized January 3d, 1857, adopting what 
is commonly called the New Hampshire 



Ro2iiid Prairie and PlymoiitJi. 207 

Confession of Faith, embracing- all the doc- 
trines peculiar to Missionary Baptists. This 
'thurch was organized with eight members : 
tIz., Jacob Elliott, Sarah J, Elliott, Thomas 
Rockey, Celia Rockey, Caleb Bickford, Eliz- 
abeth Bickford, Emily Walton, Margaret 
Cook. These are all living (August, 1875). 
Four of them have removed — Mr. and Mrs. 
Elliott to Canton, Illinois ; Mr. and Mrs. 
Rockey are now in Bushnell. Two of them, 
Mr. and Mrs. l^ickford, have changed their 
church relations, still residing here, and two 
of the original members, Mrs. Walton and 
Mrs. Cook, still remain in connection with 
the church. Thomas Rockey was the first 
deacon chosen, and Jacob Elliott the first 
church clerk. 

There have been added to this church 
■since its organization, up to the present 
time, two hundred and thirty-five (235) per- 
sons. Of these seventy-two (72) have been 
'dismissed by letter, twenty-four (24) have 
died, and thirty-five ('35) have been excluded. 
Total dismissals, etc., one hundred and thir- 
ty-one (131) ; leaving the number now upon 
the record one hundred and four (104). Of 
these twenty-five (25) are now non-residents. 
The number of actual resident members, 
therefore, at this time, is seventy-nine (79). 



2o8 A History of 

Rev. Joseph Botts, of St. Mary's, was the 
first pastor of this church, commencing his 
labors in May, 1857. He was succeeded in 
October of the same year by Rev. Caleb 
Uavison. He in turn was succeeded in De- 
cember, 1858, by Rev. D. W. Litchfield. 
Rev. R. L. Colwell commenced his labors in 
June, i860, and in November, 1865 the pres- 
ent incumbent. Rev. L. Osborn, took charge 
of the church. His pastorate extending now 
over nearly ten years, is longer than that of 
any other minister who has served any of 
the various churches in Plymouth during its 
entire past history. 

The house of worship of the Baptist 
Church was built in 1857. It is a plain 
brick building, 26 by 40 feet, located on lot 
7, block 14, upon Summer street, between 
Virginia and Union streets. It has seating 
room for one hundred and fifty persons. 

The United Brethren in Christ. This 
society was organized in March, 1857, by 
Rev. G. K. Jackson, pastor, and was desig- 
nated at that time as PlyinoiitJi Mission.. 
The following were the original menibers :. 
viz., Josiah Morris, Martha Morris, B. \V. 
W'hittington, Thomas l\vidwell, Thomas 
Kenned)', M. A. Kennedy, Reuben Cecily 



Round Prairie and Plynwuth. 209- 

Frances Cecil, A. K. Twidwell, M. A. Tw id- 
well, Mary Twidwell, Mary Dorothy. 

Of these twelve four still remain in con- 
nection with the society : viz., Thomas Twid- 
well, M. A. Kennedy, Reuben Cecil, Frances 
Cecil. 

There have been in connection with this 
society since its organization seventy-one 
(71) persons. Of these six (6) have been 
dismissed by letter, seventeen (17) have re- 
moved, fifteen (15) have been dropped from^ 
the roll of membership, and eight (8) have 
died. Total dismissions, etc., forty-six (46).. 
Present membership, twenty-five (25). 

Lamoin Chapel, as the house of worship 
for this society is called, was built in 1872. 
It is a frame building, 28 by 36 feet, and is 
located on the southeast corner of the south- 
west quarter of section twenty-one, Lamoin 
township, three miles east and a mile and a 
half north from Plymouth. 

The Siinday School History of this com- 
munity has been traced up to 1850. The 
following year a Sunday school was organ- 
ized and continued through the summer and. 
early fall at the North School House, then^ 
one of the regular preaching stations of the 
M. E. Church. This was continued two- 



2IO A History of 

seasons ; the first, in charge of E, H. Young, 
superintendent ; the second, in charge of 
Ezra Adkins, superintendent. Then for 
some years the effort to maintain a Sunda)' 
school at that point was abandoned. There 
has since been a Sunday school at that place 
for a few years, under the superintendence 
of Thomas Brakefield and A. W. King. 
These persons, upon whom the maintain- 
ance of a school there must depend if it 
were kept up, are actively engaged in their 
church schools in town, and not only find 
their time limited for such service, but be- 
lieve that the interests of those who have 
attended at the North School House would 
be better served by their attendance upon 
some of the various church schools in town. 
For a number of years following the Mcr- 
mon occupation of Plymouth there was no 
Sunday school in town. After the building 
of the school house in 1851, some of the 
citizens interested themselves in having one 
organized. This was done in the spring of 
1852. From this point dates the permanent 
and continuous establishment of the Sunday 
school work in Plymouth, For two years 
this school was continued in the school 
house, and then, on the completion of the 



Round Prairie and Plymonth. 2 1 1 

j\I. E. Church, it was transferred to that 
house, and continued for a time as a union 
school — the basis on which it was organized. 
E. H, Young was superintendent of the 
school from its organization until the field 
began to widen out by the establishment of 
church schools. Of these we think it unnec- 
essary to give a detailed history, as the his- 
tory of the various churches already'given, 
furnishes data sufficiently accurate for our 
purpose. We may state that the building 
of each church in the place has been follow- 
ed by the establishment of a Sunday school 
in connection with it, 

A few general facts showing the present 
status of these various schools may not be 
out of place. We give, in round numbers, 
what may be considered a general average 
of the attendance upon the various Sunday 
schools, say for the past five years : 

TEACHERS AND OFFICERS. ITPlt.S. TOTAL. 

M. E. Sunday School, g 56 65 

Congregational Sunday School, 12 63 75 

Presbyterian Sunday School, . . 12 73 85 

Baptist Sunday School, 6 34 40 

Disciples Sunday School, 6 5g 65 

Total, 45 285 330 

We also subjoin a summary of the accom- 
modations provided for church goers, and 
the number of resident church members, in 



2 12 A History of 

each of the churches in town, as follows 
viz. — 

ACCOMMODATIONS. MEMBERSHIP, 

M. E. Cburch 175 109 

Congregational 270 77 

Presbyterian 240 92 

Baptist 1 50 79 

Disciples 210 103 

Total, 1045 460- 



CHAPTER XV. 

The record of the patriotism of Round: 
Prairie is well worthy of being perpetuated 
in the pages of history. It has other endur- 
ing: monuments as well : thev are written 
deeply in the hearts of many that occupy 
the desolated homes that dot here and there 
our fair prairie and town. 

We have in our midst a few of the Survi- 
vors of the War of 1812-1^, Of these 
there is one whose case may be fairly put 
in a way to present a singular double par- 
adox. The first paradoxical proposition 
concerning him is, that, while the official 
records of the war department recognize 
his services as a soldier, yet he never was in 
the army. The second is, that, while he is 
now an actual li\ing resident of our town, 
and has been a resident of our community 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 2 1 3 

for more than forty years past, the same 
authentic documents of the war department 
prove that he has been dead for more than 
sixty years. The man of whom we thus 
write is Francis Kington, who was born in 
the State of Virginia, July 4th, 1788. On 
the breaking out of the war of 18 12 he was 
a member of a volunteer military company 
that was called into active service. At this 
time Mr. Kington was encumbered with the 
cares of a family consisting- then of a wife 
and two children. A younger brother, James 
Kington, volunteered to go in his place, and 
■entered the service as a substitute for, and 
answered to the name of Francis Kington 
while in the service. In 18 14 James King- 
ton died In the service, known to the depart- 
ment only as Francis Kington. 

[This explanation of a seeming mystery 
illustrates. It seems to us, very clearly, an 
Important doctrine of the Christian religion 
that many find it hard to accept : viz.. That 
through the service of suffering and death, 
rendered by Christ, his people live. He is 
their substitute. He stands ready to render 
this service to all who will accept it. Reader, 
have you accepted him as your substitute?] 

It will be seen by the date of Mr. King- 
ton's birth, that he Is now in his 88th year — 



2 14 ^ History of 

the oldest person in our community. Until 
within the last year he has been seen almost 
daily upon our streets, but is now too feeble 
to walk beyond the limits of the yard sur- 
rounding his home. 

Edward Wade was born in Halifax Coun- 
ty, Virginia, October 7th, 1792. He enlisted 
in the regular army at Clarksville, Tennes- 
see, in 181 2, for five years. He served with 
General Jackson during the war of 181 2- 15, 
beinor enoraofed in the short but decisive 
campaign about New Orleans, the final bat- 
tle of which virtually closed the war. 

In the Indian difficulties at the South^ 
after the close of the war of 181 2-1 5, Jack- 
son's forces were volunteers, and Mr. Wade 
beinor a " resfular," was enoraored with his 
comrades in the more peaceful avocation 
of building' a so-called national road from 
Nashville, Tennessee, to Muscle Shoals, Ala- 
bama. 

At this date — October, 1875 — Mr. Wade 
has just passed his 83d birth-day, and still 
manifests a good degree of physical vigor. 

From the previous notice of Mr. Wade's 
settlement on Round Prairie it will be seen 
that he has been a resident here for more 
than forty years. 

Rolcind T. Jlladison was born near the 



Round Prairie and PlynioutJi. 2 1 5 

present city of Bowling Green, Kentucky,. 
February 24th, 1 794. 

In the war of 181 2-1 5 he entered the ser- 
vice as a volunteer in Colonel Richard H.. 
Johnson's cavalry regiment — three months 
men. He was discharged on account of 
sickness, and sent home before the expira- 
tion of his term of service, but re-enlisted 
for six months in Captain Peter Dudley's 
company, Boswell's regiment ; was in the 
battle of Fort Meigs, near Toledo, Ohio,, 
then a wilderness ; afterwards with General 
Harrison in his campaign in Canada. On 
his return he was appointed an ensign in the 
28th United States infantry, under Colonel 
T. D. Owen, and at the close of the war was 
promoted to first lieutenant in the same 
command. 

Mr. Madison settled in Ohio in 1827^ 
moved to Illinois in 1836, stopping in Schuy- 
ler County until 1840, when he bought and 
settled upon the place where he now lives, 
at Plymouth. 

The title of " Captainl' so generally be- 
stowed upon Mr. Madison by his neighbors, 
is " within one " of being correct in a military 
point of view, but it originated from his com- 
mand of a flat-boat upon the Ohio and Mis- 
sissippi rivers. 



2 1 6 A History of 

THE BLACK HAWK AND TEXAN WARS. 

Major JosepJi F. Garrett was born in Ca- 
bell County, Virginia, November i8th, i8o8, 
and emigrated to Springfield, Illinois, in 
1828. In the spring of 1832, he volunteered 
in the Black Hawk war, under Captain Daw- 
son, he and Abraham Lincoln entering the 
same company as privates. 

Though not in any battle in this cam- 
paign, he was so near the scene of Stillman's 
•defeat, east of Dixon, that he was in the de- 
tail that buried the dead the followino- da\'. 

This expedition being made up of thirt)'- 
day troops, when the term of service expired, 
Major Garrett re-enlisted, and was in till the 
•close of the war. 

In t838 Major Garrett emigrated to 
Texas, where he engaged in teaching school 
for some time. In September, 1839, ^^ ^^^~ 
unteered in an expedition against the In- 
dians, under Colonel James C. Neill. Here 
he obtained a commission as purchasing and 
subsisting commissary, with rank and pay 
as major. This expedition was engaged in 
two battles with marauding bands of Indians, 
in which Major Garrett left his position with 
the supplies in other hands and went into 
the fight, like Pat, for "a bit of soort." In 



Round P}'a2rie and Plynwiith. 2 1 7 

the first of these battles, on the Brasos river, 
without loss on their part, they killed and 
captured about sixty Indians, In the second 
battle, on the southwest fork of Trinity river, 
although their loss was slight, it included 
two valuable officers : one of them Major 
Wepler, a German, who had been a captain 
in Bonaparte's army, a-nd had fought with 
Wellington's forces at Waterloo, 

In March, 1840, the troops of this expedi- 
tion were discharged. In June following. 
Major Garrett again volunteered in another 
similar expedition — this time as a substitute 
for J. R, Baker, who was the first county 
clerk of McDonnough County, Illinois. 
Here he was again commissioned to the 
same office and rank as in the previous ex- 
pedition. This campaign lasted but one 
month, at the expiration of which Major 
Garrett resumed his occupation as school 
teacher. He returned to Illinois something 
over twenty-five years ago, where he has 
since resided, most of the time in Plymouth, 
On the breaking out of the rebellion, the 
Major's war spirit was again aroused ; and 
although over fifty years old at that time, 
he had his gray hair colored so black that 
his nearest neigrhbor failed to recognize him, 
and presented himself for exajnination. The 
15 



2i8 A History of 

inexorable old army surgeon told him " it 
was a pity to repress such pluck, but with 
such dilapidated teeth as he had, he would 
starve to death on hard-tack, and therefore 
it would not do to pass him." 

THE MORMON WAR. 

As numerous as were the heroes of the 
times embraced in the period of the Mor- 
mon war, we must decline the task of 
recording their brilliant exploits, mainly 
for the following reasons: ist. We have 
already given as much space to the sub- 
ject of Mormonism as our limits will jus- 
tify. 2d. The subject needs for its proper 
elucidation numerous illustrations which we 
cannot afford in this work. The necessity 
for pictorial illustration we think will be ap- 
parent by reference to Jim's story, in which 
three horsemen captured a town, and the 
blue-stocking war, in our chapter on Mor- 
monism. 3d. The subject requires a volume 
in itself, as those wh© went from Round 
Prairie, not having any regular military or- 
ganization, would each require a personal 
history of service in various campaigns in 
which each enlisted when he felt like it, staid 
until he got military glory enough, and then 
gave himself an honorable discharge. 



Rotmd Prairie and PlymoiUh. 219 

THE MEXICAN WAR. 

Round Prairie had but two representa- 
tives in this war: These were Richard 
Landsden and James M. Garden, both of 
Birmingham, and both now deceased. 

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

In making up the record of those from this 
vicinity engaged in the war, we extend our 
territorial Hmits somewhat so as to inchide 
neighborhoods immediately adjoining Round 
Prairie, and of which Plymouth is the busi- 
ness center. The men from these neigh- 
borhoods and ours, shared together all the 
vicissitudes of the war, and their names 
should appear together in any records that 
may be made of their services. 

The time of enlistments from this vicinity 
extended through nearly the whole period 
of the war, and some of those latest in the 
service will be found in regiments that were 
among those earliest formed, being recruited 
to fill up ranks broken by the war. 

Our community was represented in about 
twenty-five different regiments, as follows :. 
viz. — 

Twelfth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized as a Three Years Regiment at Cairo, August ist, 1861, 

Substitute Recruits mustered in, October, 1864. Augustus Gar- 
rett, Andrew J. Hattery, J. Marshall Ralston, Silas J. James. 
The I2th was at Donelson, Corinth, and with Sherman on his- 



2 20 A History of 

march to the sea, Our recruits were sent from Camp Butler, 
via. Nashville and Baltimore, and joined the regiment under 
Sherman at Raleigh, North Carolina. 

The regiment was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, and 
received final discharge and pay at Camp Butler, Illinois, July, 
1S65. 

Fourteenth Illinois Infantry. 

Organized May, iSbi, ai yacksonville, Illinois. 

Alonzo Bickford, Company E, mustered in, 1S61. 

Tiie regiment was re-organized at Goldsboro, North Carolina, 
in April, 1865, and the following recruits sent from here : 

Cornelius Decker, Albert Palmer; Samuel H. Ridgeway, ab- 
sent, sick at muster out ; Matthew Trammel, mustered out as 
Corp.; Samuel Wade, mustered out as corp. 

The 14th was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and 
received final pay and discharge at Springfield, Illinois, Septem- 
ber 22d, 1S65. 

Sixteenth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized at Quiftcy, May 24th, 1861. 

James H. Ralston, transferred to 6otli Illinois January, 1864 ; 
John N. Smith, transferred to 60th Illinois, January, 1864 ; John 
W. Johnson ; Joseph Shannon, wagoner, re-enlisted as veteran ; 
S. C. Gilbert, discharged, disability, re-enlisted, ist Colorado 
cavalry ; A. J. Duncan ; Benjamin F. Hendricks, died at Bird's 

Point, 1S62 ; William Markley, John Scott ; Johnson, 

of Lamoin ; Johnson, of Lamoin. 

The i6th was sent first into Missouri, was at Corinth, and af- 
terward at Nashville. Their later service was mainly guard and 
garrison duty. 

Mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky ; discharged at Camp 
Butler, Illinois. 

Eighteenth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized, May, 1S61. Re-organized. 

John Bodenhamer, mustered in, March gth, 1B65. Mustered 
out as Corp., December i6th, 1865 ; Isham Sell. 

This regiment was at Donelson and Shiloh, and afterwards in 
Arkansas. Mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas ; discharged 
at Camp Butler, Illinois. 

Twenty-eighth Illinois Infantry. 

Organized at Camp Butler, August, 1861, by Lieutenajit Colonel L. 
//. Waters. 

Simeon E. Botts, died at home ; .Sidney W. Botts, discharged 
December, 1862 — disability; Richard A. Dawson, discharged 
June, 1862 — disability; Nathan Graham, died at Fort Holt, 



Round Prairie a7id PlymoiUh. 221 

Kentucky, December ist, 1861 ; Robert Huddleston, wounded, 
sent to hospital ^since missing; Edward Livermore, term ex- 
pired August 26th, 1S64 ; Haley F. Sell, died at Fort Holt, Ken- 
tucky, January i6th, 1862. 

Regiment consolidated in 1S64. The following substitute re- 
cruits were sent to the regiment October, 1864 : 

James C. Howell, corp., killed at Spanish Fort, Alabama, 
March 16, 1S65 : Elbridge M. Cox, William L. Hendrickson, 
Chalmers Hall ; Hiram L. Michael, died at Brownsville, Texas, 
September 20th, 1865 ; J. Hardin Smith. 

The 2Sth regiment was at Corinth, Vicksburg, Jackson, and at 
various points in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas — saw hard 
service ; came near shipwreck on the Gulf of Mexico in their 
Transfer from New Orleans to the siege of Spanish Fort — threw 
130 mules overboard in order to save the vessel. 

Thirty-fourth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized September, 1S61. 

Unassigned Substitute Recruits. Joseph D. Garrett, recruited 
March 8th, 1865, mustered out May 14th, 1865. 

Service of the regiment, in Kentucky and Tennessee. Mus- 
tered out at Louisville, and discharged at Chicago, July i6th, 
1865. 

Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry. 
Ccnsolidated. 

Substitute Recruits. William H. Hisel, recruited October 25th, 
1864; Tliomas Kennedy, recruited March Qth, 1865, died at 
Camp Butler, March 2Sth, 1865 ; Reuben Cecil, recruited March 
gth, 1S65 ; William Lung, recruited March gth, 1865 ; Joseph 
Pestil, recruited March 25th, 1865. 

The three latter joined the regiment at Spanish Fort, but 
were not in the fight ; saw no severe service. Mustered out, 
January 21st, 1S66, at Selma, Alabama, and sent to Springfield 
for pay and discharge. 

Fifty-seventh Illinois Infantry. 

Organized at Chicago, Dec, 1861. 

William S. Hendricks, promoted from i6th Illinois, 2d lieuten- 
ant, resigned February 13th, 1863 ; Edward D. Haggard, ser- 
geant, promoted 2d lieutenant February, 1863, 1st lieutenant 
July, 1864, captain July, 1865 — not mustered — mustered out as 
1st lieutenant ; James W. Madison, corp., discharged June, 1S62; 
George Madison, musician, promoted principal musician 56th 
Illinois Infantry, August, 1862; Mattliias M. Hendrickson, 
killed at Shiloh April 6th, 1862; John W. Hamilton, re-enlisted 
as veteran, out as sergeant ; Austin B. Lynch, re-enlisted as 
veteran ; David Moore ; Henry H. Ross, discharged April, 1862; 



2 22 A Histor-y of 

Robert H. Stark, captured in South Carolina February 22d, 1865, 
killed; Henry Smith, John F.Thomas; Francis M. Way, dis- 
charged February, 1S64 — disability. 

Recruits. Edward F. Kington, October. 1S62 ; William 
Brown, James Patterson, Henry Mikesell, A. J. Polite ; Philip 
Long. January, 1862, discharged April, 1862 ; Dallas Cox, Janu- 
ary, 1862 ; Elijah Clair, January, 1862 ; Lewis Gillenwater, Janu- 
ary, 1862; George Boman, February, 1864; Isaac Boman, Feb- 
ruary, 1864 ; James C. Bickford, February, 1864 ; Edwin L. 
Garvin, February, 1864 ; Bartoe Patterson, March, 1864; Will- 
iam T. Lawrence, March, 1864, died at Athens, Alabama, April 
3d, 1864. 

This regiment was in the battle at Fort Donelson, February 
13th, 14th, 15th, 1S62; at Pittsburg Landing, April 6th. 7th; 
siege of Corinth, May, 1862 ; battle of Corinth, October 3d 4th, 
1862. Mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, and discharged at 
■Chicago, July gth, 1S65. 



FiFTV-EIGHTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY. 

Consolidaied yatiuary 2jd, iS6j. 

Wesley Ralston, recruited March 21st, 1865 ; Paris Smith, 
recruited March 21st, 1865. 

Mustered out at Montgomery, Alabama, April 1st, 1866; dis- 
charged at Springfield, Illinois. 

Sl.XTY-SECOND ILLINOIS INFANTRY. 

Re-organizcd at Little Rock, Arkansas, April 24th, iS6j. 

Nicholas S. Comberlidge, recruited as veteran; Aaron Downie, 
■died at Frederick, Illinois, January 27th, 1863 ; John Freaks, 
discharged September 8th, 1S62 — disability; David Stoneking, 
discharged April 23d, 1SC3 — disability; Samuel Stoneking, 
transferred to invalid corps. 

All the above enlisted in the original organization of the 62d, 
April loth, 1862. As re-organized, were on duty at Pine Bluff 
and at Fort Gibson. Mustered out at Little Rock, March 6th, 
lS66 ; discharged at Springfield, Illinois. 

Seventy-first Illinois Infantry. 

Three Months Men. Organized at Chicago. 

Ralph W.Clark, Joseph H. Fortner, Benjamin E. Orr, Joseph 
W. Tillson, Alfred B. Talbot, Benjamin Bickford, 

Mainly on guard duty in Kentucky. 



Round Prairie and Plynumth. 223 

Seventy-second Illinois Infantry. 

■Organized at Chicago, August 2jd, 1862, as the ist Board of Trade 

Regiment. 

James A. Bingham, 2d lieutenant, promoted ist lieutenant 
January 23th, 1863, killed at Vicksburg May 22d, 1863 ; Edward 
H. Burton, Discharged May 28th, 1864, for promotion in 52d 
Col. Infantry ; Andrew Cook, discharged July I2th, 1864, for 
promotion in sSth Col. Infantry; George W. Capron, Henry A. 
Cecil, Joshua Hedgecock ; Garrett J. D. Jarvis, discharged April 
Sth, 1S64, for promotion 50th Col. Infantry ; John J. Myers, died 
in Yazoo Pass, March i6th, 1863 ; George W. McDaniel, An- 
drew J. Massengill, William H. McDaniel ; Peter Morehead, 
mustered out as corporal ; Henry G. Miller ; John W. Royce, died 
^t Columbus, Kentucky, October 21st, 1862 ; Lewis J. Spurlock, 
Marcena Smith ; George W. Milton, corporal, mustered out as 
private ; Harmon F. Morris, died at Paducah, Kentucky, Octo- 
ber gth, 1862; Richard Lansden, died at St. Louis, July 22d, 
1863; John L. Madison, discharged February 13th, 1S63 — dis- 
ability; Peter Peters, died at Selma, Alabama, July 26th, 1865 ; 
George W. Loop, recruit, transferred to 33d Infantry ; John 
Pennock, recruit. 

The 72d was with Grant at Vicksburg, at the battle of Nash- 
ville, and others in Tennessee, at Spanish Fort, Alabama, etc.; 
iwas in seven battles and eleven skirmishes ; traveled 9,280 miles 
in the service, and under fire one hundred and forty-five days. 
Mustered out at Vicksburg, August 6th, 1S65. 

Seventy-eighth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized at Quincy, Sept. ist, 1S62. 

Company A. William S. Hendricks, sergeant-major, March 
^8tli, 1864 — discharged January 17, 1865 — wounds; Henry C. 
Bodenhamer ; James E. Belote, killed at Chickamauga, Septem- 
ber 20th, 1863 ; Darwin Belote, died at Franklin, Tennessee, 
March 5th, 1863 ; Robert Driver, died at Franklin, Tennessee, 
February 19th, 1863 ; Benjamin Davis, died at Chattanooga, Oc- 
loljer 7th, 1863 — wounds; John Davis, died at Nashville, March 
i8th, 1863 ; Shepard Graham, died at Franklin. March 28th, 
1S63 ; James M. Groves, John Howell, George Harrison ; Will- 
iam H. Landsden, died at Andersonville, October 6lh, 1864 ; 
Theodore C. Noel ; David M. Sapp, mustered out as corporal ; 
"William Wier, mustered out as corporal ; William T. Walker, 
Rev., died at Nashville, February 28th, 1865 ; Henry H. Wyles, 
transferred to veteran reserve corps ; Amos Scott, promoted ist 
lieutenant. 

Kecriiits. Thomas R. Alway, November, 1S63, transferred to 
34th Illinois; Isaac H. Bodenhamer, November, 1863, trans- 
ferrtd to 34th Illinois; Chris. G. Bodenhamer, November, 1863; 
John W. Sapp, November, 1S63, died at Nashville, November 



224 ^^ History of 

23d, 1S64; William II. Wier, November, 1S63 ; Howard Wilds,. 
November, 1S63 ; Samuel J. JameS, January, 1864; William K, 
Ruggles, January, 1564 ; Edward H. Wheeler, January, 1S64;. 
Harvey F. Hendricks, March, 1864 ; Hiram Scott, died at Nash- 
ville, March 27, 1863 ; John Steen, died at Vining, Georgia, July 
22, 1S64 — wounds. 

Company D. Sidney Bott.s. mustered out as corporal ; Joseph 
O. Botts, discharged June, 1863 — disability; John L. Bell, died 
at Louisville, Kentucky, February 3d, 1S63 ; Luther C. Burton^ 
died at Louisville, June 26th, 1864 — wounds ; Samuel S. Davis, 
killed at Jonesboro, Georgia, September 1st, 1864; Williara 
Earle, discharged September, 1S63 — disability; Egbert New- 
man, mustered out June 7th, 1865 — prisoner, died in hospital at 
Richmond ; Solomon Fry ; David G. Hawkins, died at Louis- 
ville, May I2th, 1S63 ; William K.Long; William E. Milion, 
mustered out as corporal ; Thomas B. Smith, transferred to vet- 
eran reserve corps, July 25th, 1S64; Charles M. Bennett, musi- 
cian ; Richard H. Scott, killed at Jonesboro, September 2d, 
1S64; Samuel Fugate, corporal, killed at Rasaca, Georgia, May 
15th, 1S64; Martin Fugate, killed at Chickamauga, September 
20th, 1863 ; Solomon Toulon, killed at Chickamauga, September 
20th, 1S63 ; William Toulon, discharged, joined 148th regiment ;, 
John Mullin, recruit ; Silas Bayles. 

The service of the 7Sth regiment is indicated to a good degree 
by its list of dead. It saw a good deal of hard service. It will 
be seen by the list, that this regiment contained by far the most 
numerous representation of soldiers from this vicinity of any 
regiment in the service. 

It received its final pay and discharge at Chicago, June 12th, 
1865. 

Eighty-eighth Illinois Inf.vntry 

was mustered into the United States service at Chicago, Sep- 
tember 4th, 1S62, as tiie 2d Board of Trade Regiment. 

The following men from Plymouth were enlisted {ox this- 
regiment, August 27th, 1S62. 

Charles Wiiichell. coiiioral, mustered out as private ; Isaac: 
S. Cunningham, Robert Jones ; Jacob Wright, died at Nash- 
ville, January 15, 1S64. 

This regiment was in the battles of I'erryville, Stone River,. 
Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, and Atlarjta. From thence back 
to Chattanooga, Franklin and Nashville. Mustered out at 
Nashville, and discharged at Chicago, June 22d, 1865. 

One HlTNDKED AND EIGHTEENTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY. 

Organized at Camp Biitlcr, Aj<i^itst, 1S62. 

Silas Bayles, Harrison L. Bayles, Harry H. Gallowiy, Isaac 
Grifleth. died at Port Hudson, La., May 20th, 1^64. 



RoiDid Prairie and Plymouth. 225 

The liSth was at Vicksburg, afterward in the department of 
the Gulf. Mustered out at Baton Rouge, October ist, 1S65. 

One Hundred and Nineteenth Illinois Infantry. 
Organized at Qtiincy, October loih, 1862. 

Thomas Stoneking, Elijah Williams ; Henry C. Hamilton, 
mustered out as corporal ; John Saddler, Edward Saddler ;, 
William Thompson, sergeant, died at Memphis, March 8th, 
1864 ; Jonathan S. Tucker, discharged for disability ; Andrew 
Wade. 

Recruits. Harrison Kneff", June loth, 1863, died at Quincy, 
January 12th, 1865 ; ' William J. Granger, March 3d, 1865 ; 
Thomas Harrison, March 3d, 1S65 ; Abraham Riley, March 3d, 
1S65 ; Willis Bilderback, March 3d, 1865 ; Clement S. Noel, 
March 3d. 1865. 

The service of the I igth regiment was mainly in Kentucky 
during the year 1863, and in Louisiana in 1S64 ; was engaged in 
the Red River expedition : afterwards at Nashville; also via 
New Orleans at Spanish Fort and Blakely. Discharged at Camp 
Butler, September 4th, 1865. 

One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Infantry. 

Mustered into the United States service at Camp Butler, Septem- 
ber loth, 1S62. 

Thomas P. Price, sergeant, promoted 2nd lieutenant ; Presley 
Hobbs : Patrick Y. Mullen, transferred :o invalid corps ; Hugh 
E. Wear, discharged October ist, 1864 — disability; William J. 
Waller; Franklin Myers, died at Big Black River Bridge, April 
4th, 1864; James M. Wear; Haywood Howell, discharged 
March 12th, 1863 — disability; John W. Holton, Joseph 
Duncan. 

The 124th regiment was in the battle of Champion Hills, at 
the siege of Vicksburg, and at the siege of Spanish Fort; was 
discharged at Chicago, August 15th, 1865. 

One Hundred and Forty-eighth Illinois Infantky. 
One Year Regiment. Organized P'ebruary 21st, i86j. 

Joshua H. Scott, mustered out as corporal ; William To- 
land, mustered out as corporal ; Abraham Weaver, corporal, 
mustered out as private ; William Cecil, Benjamin F. Johnson, 
Lemuel H. Johnson, Albert D. New ; Hiram Saddler, mustered 
out as sergeant ; Abel F. Spiva, Felix Thomas, James L 
Woodard. 

The service of the 148th regiment consisted mainly of guard 
duty in Tennessee. Discharged at Springfield, September gth,. 
1865. 



.2 26 A History of 

One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Infantry. 
•One Year Regiment. Otganized at Qiiincy, February s^tJi, f86j. 

Chauncey W. Scoville, Ambersoii Seaton. 

Sent to Macon, Georgia, and to Kingston; in no battles — 
gun I'd and garrison duty. Discharged at Springfield, I'cbruary 
Sth, iS66. 

Second Illinois Artillery. Battery H. 

JBattery H was Organized at Camp Butler, December j/st. i86j. 

James H. Dean, Leonard F. Mills. 

Company H of the 2d Artillery was at the siege of Fort Don- 
elson, and at Fort Pillow. Their service was mainly in Ken- 
tucky and Tennessee. A portion of the time tiiey were mounted 
and armed as cavalry and served as scouts. Discharged at 
■Springfield, July 29th, 1865. 

There was a period in the early part of 
the war in which the patriotism of IlHnois 
so overflowed its own proper channels as to 
supply a considerable force to fill the defi- 
ciency in the quota of the sister State of 
Missouri. A considerable number of re- 
cruits from this vicinity were in this way 
enrolled in Missouri regiments. In regard 
to these, we are at the disadvantage of hav- 
ing no access to official records by which to 
correct errors in our list of names, or to orive 
facts as to promotions, or, in most cases, any 
particulars of the death of those of the num- 
ber who died in the service. 

By comparison with, and corrections from 
the official report of the Adjutant General 
■of Illinois, the record just made of enlist- 
ments, etc., from this vicinity, in the various 



Ro7Lnd Prairie and Plymouth. 227 

Illinois regiments designated, possesses 
about all the value of an official record. 
With these explanations to account for any 
errors or deficiencies that may be found in 
what follows, we proceed, with the sources 
of information at hand, to make up our local 
record of enlistments : 

Seventh Missouri Cavalry. 

William H. Bell, Henry Whitney, George Butler, James Ross, 
Archibald Montgomery, Alfred Michael ; A. J. Hughes, after- 
wards in issth Illinois Infantry; Rezin Hughes, died in the 
service; Hezekiah Hughes, Jesse Clark, George Mikesell. 

This regiment was on duty in northern Missouri for some 
time, watching and regulating the bushwhackers. Later in the 
war they were in more active service in southwest Missouri, and 
in Arkansas, where they were in a number of battles of more or 
less importance. 

Tenth Missouri Infantry. 
Organized in the Fall of 1861, at St. Louis. 

It consisted at first almost entirely of Illinois men, but after- 
wards three companies of Missouri troops were added lo it. Our 
locality had the following representatives in this regiment : viz., 

W. D. Burdett; John T. Hayden, died in the service; Sam- 
.uel Ritchey, died at St. Louis, May i8th, 1S62 ; George Parks; 
James Cox, accidentally shot ; Samuel F. Haggard ; Delancy 
Higby, shot at Jackson, Mississippi, died of wounds, June 4th, 
1S63 ; John Wade, died at Andersonville ; Henry Homey, 
Thomas J. Farley, George Haggard, Lewis Roberts, Frank Cook, 
'Gilmore W. Smith, Dennis McDonald, Jesse Hendrickson ; 
James M. Smith, died in the service ; Alson Wier, James Ewing, 
William Ewing. 

The loth Missouri was in the battles of Corinth, Tuka, siege 
'Of Corinth, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, etc. 

Those whose Regiments are not Designated.* 

The following list comprises names from our vicinity, a por- 
tion of which we are unable to find in the Adjutant General's 
ofiicial report. Another portion of the list has been furnished 
us since making up the foregoing record : 

* The numbers of regiments, and other memoranda found in this list 
4nain1y furnished after the list of names was completed. 



2 28 A History of 

William Saddler, Sgth Illinois Volunteers — Railroad Regi- 
ment ; Peter Wade, Sgth Illinois Volunteers, died at Chatta- 
nooga, June 30th, 1S64 ; David M. Sell, 146th Illinois Volun- 
teers ; Solomon T. Sell, 146th Illinois Volunteers ; Wesley 
Parks, died in the service ; James Johnson, William E. Bolts ;. 
Moses H'llliday, engineer corps ; Francis ?»I. Holliday, musician, 
84th Illinois, killed near Kenesaw Mountain, June, 1S64 ; James 
Purdham, 84th Illinois ; Samuel Purdham, 2d lieutenant, sglh 
Illinois ; Meshack Purdham, 59th Illinois ; Hiram Walts, Jo- 
seph Bayles, Thomas Hamilton, Benjamin Hamilton, Joseph 
Cox, Thomas Cox, Willis Kneff, James W, Johnson, Hugh 
Wear, Jonathan Barney; Joseph Jenkins, died in the service;. 
Thomas Jenkins, James Wilson, Pelaliah Wilson, Charles Wilson^ 

The above lists comprise about 260 names 
of persons enlisted from this vicinity — ter- 
ritory embracing about two and a half town- 
ships : viz., St. Mary's, Lamoine, and about 
half of Birmingham township. The record,, 
undoubtedly, is still incomplete. Of those 
recorded, twenty per cent, of the enthre 
number — over fifty persons — sealed their 
devotion to the cause with their lives. 

We have one more list to present, com- 
prising present residents of Plymouth who' 
were in the service, enlisted elsewhere : 

Robert H. Ellis, Augusta, 2d lieutenant, iigth Illinois Infant- 
ry, October 7th, 1S62, promoted 1st lieutenant October 2d, 1863,. 
promoted captain September 30th, 1S64. 

Samuel Wilson, Bethel, lieutenant colonel, 16th Illinois In- 
fantry, May 24th, 1S61, resigned September, JS62. 

Asaph y. Davis, Littleton, captain, loth Missouri Infantry,, 
accidentally drowned at Birmingham, June 6th, 1S6S. 

Jay Davis, Massachusetts Infantry, service on the coast of 
North Carolina and Virginia and at Petersburg and Richmond. 

Rev. Wilson F. Cellar, 82d Ohio; service in West Virginia- 
with Fremont, army of the Potomac with Pojje, army of the 
Cumberland with Sherman. Mustered out as commissary ser- 
geant. 

William Wightman, quarter-master's sergeant, 14th Vermont 
Infantry; service about the defenses of Washington — General 



Round Prairie and Ply inoutJi. 229 

Heiiitzelman's division ; with General ]\Ieade at Gettysburg, 
where the 14th Vermont lost about one hundred men. 

George H. McDaniel, 143d Ohio Infantry ; service in the tenth 
army corps, on the Potomac, General McBirney. 

Calvin M. Covert, Camp Point, recruit, 50th Illinois Infantry. 
Mustered in, February, 1864; mustered out, July, 1S65. 

Robert IV. Covert, Camp Point, recruit, 50th Illinois Infantry. 
Mustered in, January, 1S65 ; mustered out, July, 1S65. 



RECRUITING EXTRAORDINARY. 

Our local history of the war would be in- 
complete should we omit the following little 
episode that occurred during the earlier and 
darker days of the war. The event may be 
placed in the summer of 1862. The spirit 
-of rebellion began to manifest itself quite 
decidedly in our midst and about us. A 
" fire in the rear " was proposed as a diver- 
sion in favor of the enemy. 

The fact that there was an actual organi- 
zation in our midst, for the purpose of ob- 
structing the government in all practicable 
ways, in its efforts to suppress the rebellion, 
rests upon very conclusive evidence. 

The more intelligent leaders of the demo- 
cratic party, foreseeing the danger and dis- 
aster that might result from going a step 
too far in the direction indicated, made 
some efforts to allay the threatened storm. 

Colonel Dick Richardson was sent here to 
make a speech. His effort, on the whole, 



230 A History of 

was a very fair war speech, calculated to 
allay excitement and harmonize all parties 
in the prosecution of the war. 

Subsequent events proved that other par- 
ties had taken the case in hand also. In 
Colonel Richardson's audience were two 
other active workers in the Union cause. 
These were members of the United States 
secret service, — here ostensibly in the guise 
of aofents of the rebel orovernment. In this 
latter capacity they circulated themselves 
freely among the crowd, finding plenty of 
friendly sympathizers, into whose confidence 
they readily ingratiated themselves, and 
from whom they obtained all the necessary- 
information they desired. 

After the meeting broke up, one of the 
detectives adjourned, with a number of his. 
newly made friends, to a saloon " out in the 
bush " beyond the corporation limits, where 
they drank together the health of JefT. Davis,, 
in as good whisky, no doubt, as Rebeldom 
could afford. After a jolly time together,, 
the exercises were closed in an orthodox 
way by the detective "taking up a collec- 
tion " for the cause he had represented sO' 
successfully : the exact amount thereof we 
are unable to state ; but the agent consid- 
ered it ample for the occasion. The meet- 



Roiuid Prairie and Plymouth. 23 r 

ing adjourned ; and as night drew the thick 
curtains of darkness down over the scene, 
the detectives " silently folded their tents," 
if they had any, and disappeared. 

The scene opens again, say two or three 
days after the occurrences noted above. A 
train came up from Ouincy during the night,, 
containing a little squad of United States- 
soldiers. Part of the squad dropped off 
quietly at Plymouth ; the remainder went 
on to the next station — Colmar. There 
three men were very promptly recruited for 
some special service the government had in 
view for them, and put on board the train,, 
which then fell back to Augusta. The squad 
of soldiers that stopped at Plymouth, picked 
up a guide here without much delay, and 
took up their line of march westward. They 
were soon rewarded for their efforts by pick- 
ing up a sturdy recruit by the wayside. Go- 
ing forward over hill and dale, another waS' 
found at some distance from the first. Here, 
dismissing their guide, they made a detour 
and struck the railroad at Augusta, where 
they made another recruit. They found 
their comrades awaiting them there, and 
uniting their forces, found themselves in 
charge of a company of six. Although this 
formed quite a nucleus for an organization,, 



132 A History of 

the officers were not altogether happy. 
Both squads came in short of the number 
of men that had been " booked " for this 
occasion. Some of the number had man- 
aged to elude the soldiers, and bravely ran 
aivay — perchance to fight another day. 
This shortage left the new company rather 
heavily officered in proportion to the rank 
and file ; the latter, however, comprised some 
solid men. Among the officers of the new 
company we may designate the commissary, 
selected on account of his experience in pro- 
viding such supplies as were supposed to be 
an excellent stimulant to rebel spirits — a 
chief biLgler, whose professional practice had 
given him a great capacity for blozuing — and 
lastly, a surgeon ^LXid physician, that the wants 
of the sick and wounded might be properly 
attended. 

The company proceeded at once to St. 
Louis, via Ouincy. Among other agreeable 
traveling companions on the journey was 
one of the detectives whose acquaintance 
some of them had the pleasure of making at 
Plymouth a few days previously. 

The company reported at the office of the 
United States marshal, by whom they were 
assigned to duty. The nature of the service 
to which they were assigned, we are unable 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 233 

to give in detail. Suffice it to say that the 
new recruits proved such ready learners 
under the faithful tuition that they received 
in the duties due to the United States Gov- 
ernment that they were considered compe- 
tent for orraduation in less than two weeks 
from the time of their enlistment. They 
returned to their homes to practice the les- 
sons learned, and to aid in enforcing them 
upon their neighbors. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Birmingham lies at the extreme south- 
■eastern limit of the territory we have de- 
scribed as Round Prairie, being at the junc- 
tion of Flour Creek with Crooked Creek. 
Having, in previous chapters, given some 
description of the locality, with traditions of 
Indian history, etc., our attention now is di- 
rected especially to the more important facts 
concerning the town. Its history as a town 
bears even date with Plymouth, being laid 
out in 1836, The original proprietors were 
David Graham, David and Moses Manlove. 
Of these the former only survives, and is 
still a resident of the place. 
16 



234 ^ History of 

The town plat comprises about fifteen' 
acres, and is located on the northeast quar- 
ter of section eleven (ii), township 3 N.. 
4 W. 

The mill enterprise preceded the town in 
point of time, the latter growing, as a result, 
out of the former. The mill was built in 
1835-6 by David Graham and Robert Wil- 
son. A year or two later Wilson sold out 
his interest to the brothers David and Moses 
Manlove. 

[The story is told that Wilson retired 
from the firm because of a slight " unpleas- 
antness" with his partner, in which some 
very striking arguments were used, that not 
only floored Wilson, but let him through 
the floor into the creek below. Such logic 
was so overwhelmincr that he retired from 
the firm in disgust.] 

The first hoiise in Birmingham was built 
of logs, in the mill yard, and was put up for 
the accommodation of some of the employes 
of the mill. 

The first school in the place was taught 
by William Noel in 1837, in one of the 
rooms of David Graham's house. The fol- 
lowing year the first school house was put 
up. This stood in an oak grove south of 
town, across Flour Creek. 



Ro2ind Prairie and Plymouth. 235 

An Incident occurred at this school house 
in 1848 that is thought to be worthy of no- 
tice. Dr. Newell Sapp, then a student of 
medicine, was teaching at the time. 

During a severe storm a large oak tree 
blew down and fell across the building, crush- 
ing one side down to the floor, and the op- 
posite side to within about four feet of the 
floor. A catastrophe involving a probable 
loss of life and limb was averted by the in- 
mates oratherinor on the side of the buildingr 
least damaged by the crash. 

The school house in the village was built 
in 1853, and was used for several years, not 
only for school purposes but also for relig- 
ious meetings. 

A Sunday school was organized in Bir- 
mingham in 1842 by Mr. Briscoe and Carr 
King. 

The Methodist Church of Birmingham^ 
was organized in 1842 by Elders Barger 
and Bell. 

Of the oriorinal members of this church 

o 

we have been unable to obtain a complete 
list. The following, however, were among 
the number : 

Francis M. Graham, Mary Graham, James 
Graham, William Graham, Elizabeth Sapp. 

The preachers, in addition to those named 



236 A History of 

above, have been, W. Oliver, — Crane, Jo- 
seph Johnson, — Dickerson, — Phinkbine, 

— Borton, — WilHams, — Clevinger, — 
Keener, — Wallace, — Davison, — Jordon, 

— Stubble, and — Tipton. 

The house of worship was built in 1866; 
it is a neat frame building, in size 35 by 40 
feet. This being the only church building 
in the place, is frequently opened for the 
use of other denominations. 

Although out of its chronological order, 
we notice here, as a part of the religious 
history of the place, a revival of great power, 
that took place in 1874, under the labors of 
John P. Dawson, then a lay evangelist, now 
a licensed minister of the Presbyterian 
Church. The marked features of the work 
were, that nearly all its subjects were adults, 
many of them far advanced in life ; and that 
nearly the entire adult population of the 
place were subjects of it. 

Out of this revival grew 

The Presbyterian Church of Birmingham. 
This was organized April 22d, 1875, by a 
committee of Schuyler Presbytery, consist- 
ing of Rev. W. F. Cellar and Elder A. W. 
King. 

The original members of this church were, 

S. R. Sapp, T. C. Noel, Mrs. E. C. Noel, 



Round Prairie and Plyviouth. 237 

Mrs. Ann M. Sapp, David Graham, Mrs. Lu- 
cinda Graham, James M. Groves, Mrs. E. B- 
Groves, WilHam Noel, Mrs. Anna Noel, Mrs. 
Sarah Garden, Miss M. A. Johnson, Frank 
Graham, Miss Clara B. Sapp, Mrs, Louisa 
Sapp, Miss Janette Sell, Miss Viola Sell, Miss 
Emma Crawford, Miss Mary Howell, Mrs. 
M. L. Sapp, Mr. C. C. McPherson, together 
with James G. King and his wife (Mary 
King), and their two children, Emma and 
Louisa, from the Presbyterian Church of 
Plymouth. Total membership at the time 
of organization, twenty-five. 

This church has been supplied with 
preaching, since its organization, on Sab- 
bath afternoons, by Rev. W. F. Cellar, of 
Plymouth. 

Sunday schools. Since the first, as noticed 
above, a Sunday school has been maintained 
with a good deal of irregularity. For seve- 
ral years its existence depended upon such 
labors as James G. King and Nathan F. 
Burton found time to bestow upon it. More 
recently, however, under the superintend- 
ence of Joshua Hedgecock, it has assumed 
a form of more permanence and consequent 
prosperity. 

Bicsiness of Birmijigham. It is not our 
purpose to give minute details concerning 



238 A History of 

the business men and enterprises of Bir- 
mingham. But some of the more prominent 
facts will be of general interest. The mill 
has been the means of attracting custom 
from a considerable extent of country to 
this point ; and during the earlier history of 
the place, when mills were few and far be- 
tween, this advantage was far greater than 
now. Until the buildino; of the C. B. and 
O. R. R. the facilities of Birmingham for 
business communication with the commer- 
cial centers of trade were fully equal to 
those of any of its neighboring towns. 

These were the palmy days in the busi- 
ness history of the place. Among those to 
reap the benefits of the situation during this 
period were David and William H. Graham 
— the first mercantile firm in the field, com- 
mencing in 1836. They were succeeded by 
William H. Graham, William Noel and 
Elihu Meredith. In 1846 Captain William 
Wright came upon the field, and continued 
in business for about twenty years. In 1847 
John J. Hippie commenced business and 
continued until his removal to Plymouth in 

1854. 

Among others engaged in mercantile busi- 
ness for various periods since, we mention 
David McCreary, D. Graham, D. P. Graham 



Rou7id Prairie and Plynnoitth. 239 

and Georo-e Smith, David M. Sapp, — 
McGookin, Phineas Wells, O. J. Meacham, 
— Johnson, and Mrs. Sarah Garden. 

Quite an extensive manufacture of fanning- 
mills was carried on here about 1838-40 by 
William Noel and H. F. Sapp. Birmingham 
has been somewhat noted for its business in 
cooperage and cooperage stock, the most 
■extensive operator being William Noel. 

Professional. The Principal physicians 
•of the place have been William Booten, 
1838-40; J. M. Randolph, 1842-48; John 
McCreary, Newell Sapp, 1850-65. Bir- 
mingham supported an attorney, Adam 
Sapp, for a number of years — a luxury that 
but few towns of its size could afford, nor 
could Birmingham have done it but for the 
thriving business done by Alf. Davis and 
others of his class in the whisky trade. The 
regions just beyond Birmingham proved a 
powerful feeder to its trade in this line. We 
might put our finger on the date of a single 
year during which the notorious A. D. sold 
•on an average five gallons of whisky per day 
for the entire year, to say nothing of fancy 
drinks or of liquors obtained from other than 
<L single source. Alf. was in a fair way to 
get some of his dues in this world at one 
time in the Schuyler County jail, under a 



240 A History of 

heavy sentence of fine and imprisonment for 
selling liquor in violation of law. The tem- 
perance men of Birmingham and vicinity 
have not yet ceased to be indignant at the 
men and means used to secure his release. 

The region beyond Birmingham that we 
have referred to, is known as Gin Ridi^e ; 
and whether willingly or not, Birmingham' 
must take a large share of the responsibility^ 
not only of its name, but also of the charac- 
ter it bore for so many years. (Like Bir- 
mingham, Gin Ridge has been renovated by 
the power of the Gospel.) 

Some of the earlier business men of Bir- 
mingham were engaged in the liquor trade, 
" Once upon a time " they were hauling a 
load of the stuff from Beardstown — a choice,, 
assorted load, — the time was winter, and 
they were hauling it — -the liquor — on a 
sled. The load either became very heavy,, 
or the sled got weak-kneed under its influ- 
ence and broke down, just as men do wha 
attempt to carry too much of it There 
they were ! in these same " regions beyond."" 
Night was upon them and it was fearfully 
cold. The best they could do was to aban- 
don both liquor and sled for the night, and 
make their way home. The next morning,, 
on returning to gather up the remains of the; 



Ro2i7id Prairie and Plymouth. 241' 

wreck, they found that a barrel of whisky- 
had been tapped and tested, and that a keg 
of gin had disappeared entirely. To this- 
circumstance Gin Ridge owes its name. 

While upon the subject of regions beyond,. 
another, perhaps, deserves a passing notice 
on account of its euphonious (I) name. We 
refer to a ridge of land lying immediately 
south of Round Prairie and between Flour 
Creek and Williams' Creek, terminating at 
the confluence of these two streams, just 
above Birmingham. This point east of the 
Augusta prairie, is very rolling, dry land,, 
possessing a decided advantage in the pro- 
duction of crops in very wet seasons, but- 
suffering proportionately in dry seasons. It- 
is said that Mr. Harvey Garrett, a well- 
known citizen of years ago, after successive 
failures of the corn crop, in which the ears- 
were few and small — nothing but nubbifis — 
determined to perpetuate the fact by naming; 
the locality Nubbin Ridge. The name re-^ 
mains, whether the seasons be wet or dry.. 
But we must cease our digressive rambling 
and eet back to Birmincyham, 

A post office was established in Birming- 
ham about 1840, William Noel, postmaster,, 
who served until 1848. His successors have 
been as follows: F. Patterson, until 1850;. 



.242 A History of 

D. McCreary, until 1852; D. P, Graham, 
up to 1857 ; J. H. Graham, until 1859 ; Ben- 
jamin Sapp, for a few months of the latter 
year; Adam Sapp, until his death in 1874, 
and his widow, Mrs. Ann Sapp, since that 
time. This office was supplied weekly from 
Plymouth until 1858, at which time a weekly 
route was established through to Rushville 
from Plymouth, via Birmingham, Brooklyn, 
etc. Since July, 1874, this has been a tri- 
'weekly route. 

One of the important manufactures of 
Birmingham is that of maple sugar. This 
business, however, is not confined to Bir- 
mingham, but at various points on Crooked 
Creek as it borders on Round Prairie there 
.are sugar camps, perhaps a dozen or more 
in number, at which the owners or renters 
spend the entire season of the " run " in 
<:amp, gathering the " sugar water" and boil- 
*ing it down. There is much of romance in 
this wild camp life, for a season, in the woods 
— especially for occasional visitors, — but 
more of the rough experiences of genuine 
frontier life in earlier days. 

We have no statistics of the average sugar 
•crop in this vicinity, which varies greatly as 
the season proves favorable for its produc- 
tion, or otherwise ; but it must aesfres^ate 



Round Prairie and PlymoiUh. 243 

several thousand pounds. The greater part 
of the crop finds a ready market for home 
consumption, but in seasons favorable for a 
large supply, a considerable amount is sent 
abroad. 

Birminpfham has been, duringr most of its 
history, at a serious disadvantage in its com- 
munication with its neighbors on the oppo- 
site side of Crooked Creek. It is only since 
1872 that they have enjoyed the benefits of 
a bridge across that stream. Previously such 
communication depended upon the water 
being low enough to make the ford — just 
below the mill — available, or upon a skiff, 
or rope ferry, as means of crossing. Flour 
Creek was bridged at this point many years 
ago, the old structure giving way to a neat, 
substantial iron bridge which has recently 
been erected. 

Some sad accidents have occurred at Bir- 
mingham. One of these took place in 1S51, 
resulting in the death of Mr. William Scott 
by drowning. He was engaged with others 
in rafting Ioq^s to the mill. The creek was 
high and the current very strong, and as they 
approached the mill the raft became unman- 
aofeable and threatened to oro over the dam. 
The men on the raft thought their safety 
depended upon leaving it and swimming 



244 ^ History of 

ashore. In this attempt all succeeded but 
the one named above. 

The account of another accident we copy 
substantially as published in one of the 
county papers at the time : 

" A sad affair occurred in Birmingham^ 
Schuyler County, on Saturday, June 6th,. 
1868, by which three persons lost their lives 
by drowning in attempting to cross Crooked 
Creek, and a fourth barely escaped the same 
fate. The party consisted of the wife and 
two children of Dr. A. W. King, of Ply- 
mouth, and a cousin of Mrs. King, Captain 
Asaph J. Davis, company A, loth Missouri 
Infantry. They were returning from a visit 
to their friends at Littleton, and as the creek 
was too high to ford, they were about driv- 
ing on a small flatboat that is kept there by 
the mill company for the accommodation of 
their customers. A young man inexpe- 
1 lenced in the management of the boat ran 
it across for them, and was attempting to 
hold it to the shore by hand instead of fast- 
ening it securely, as he should have done. 
Captain Davis, taking it for granted that the 
boatman knew his business and was doinof 
his duty properly, attempted to drive on. 
As the wheels of the buggy — a covered 
one with the top up — struck the edge of 



Round Prairie and Plyniouth. 245 

the light flatboat It shoved it into the 
stream, and the buggy with its occupants 
sank at once, drag^ainor the team off the boat 
backward. Captain Davis, with character- 
istic disinterestedness, directed all his efforts 
to save the others, and at the sacrifice of his 
own life succeeded in rescuing the oldest 
child, a little girl of three years. Mrs. 
King's body was taken out first, but all 
efforts at resuscitation were unavailing. 
The other bodies were recovered a few 
hours later. 

" Sabbath afternoon at three o'clock, the 
funeral was attended at the Presbyterian 
Church in Plymouth by one of the largest 
gatherings ever assembled In the place. 
The three lifeless forms of Mrs. Kingr and 
her youngest child, a boy one year old, 
and Captain Davis, now rest peacefully be- 
neath the sod, bleeding hearts and desolate 
homes only remaining as the sad memen- 
toes of the calamity that has visited a large 
circle of friends both east and west. 

" Captain Davis was a native of Warwick, 
Massachusetts, widely and favorably known 
in this region from his connection with the 
army. 

" After the war he returned to Roxbury, 
Massachusetts, was married about a year 



246 A History of 

ago, and came west this spring to make ar- 
rangements for a permanent home here, ex- 
pecting to bring his wife out in the fall. 

" On Monday, June ist, a few friends spent 
a very pleasant evening with Dr. King's 
family celebrating the fifth anniversary of 
their wedding, little thinking that the week 
so happily begun would end with so fearful 
a calamity, blighting the brightest hopes,, 
and desolating a happy home." 

Macomb yottmal, yune joth, 1868. 

Fuhtre prospects. For twenty years past 
Birmingham has been at a disadvantage with 
neighboring towns in her lack of railroad 
facilities. There seems to be a reasonable 
probability that this condition may be rem- 
edied in the not distant future. Two differ- 
ent lines of railroad have been surveyed some- 
what recently, both crossing Crooked Creek 
at Birmingham. Owing to the general stag- 
nation of railroad enterprises, in connection 
with the prevailing business depression,, 
nothing further has been done ; but with the 
revival of business prosperity, railroad enter- 
prises will again go forward. Two lines of 
railroad — one of them referred to above — 
are now completed to the Illinois river. 
Both are seeking connections with roads 
now built or under construction west of the 
Mississippi. They must have such connec- 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 247 

tions to make them valuable as through 
routes. The building of about sixty miles 
of new road from the Illinois to the Missis- 
sippi river, will complete such through con- 
nections. One of these roads, the IllinoiSj 
Bloomington and Western, now terminates 
at Havana ; the other, the Springfield and 
Northwestern, terminates at Beardstown. 

Strenuous efforts are being made to direct 
these lines southward to Quincy and north- 
ward to Burlington. Should either line 
adopt a more direct route to Keokuk or 
Warsaw, such line could scarcely fail to 
cross Crooked Creek at Birmingham. In 
this connection a very recent newspaper 
paragraph says : " The Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad Company are seeking an outlet to 
the -Mississippi river, and that Benjamin E. 
Smith, of the Indianapolis, Bloomington and 
Western Railroad, is offering inducements 
for that road to run into Warsaw on the line 
crossing at Havana." 

Birmingham may take courage in the hope 
of yet becoming a railroad town. It has 
plenty of room in which to grow, should such 
an event overtake it. The present popula- 
tion of the place is estimated, in the absence 
of definite statistics, at about seventy-five 
persons. 



124^ A Histo7y of 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, a Presbyterian 
minister, was killed by a mob .in Alton, Illi- 
nois, October, 1837. The difficulties leading 
to this result grew out of his attempt to 
establish an anti-slavery newspaper at that 
place. 

Round Prairie, the subject of our history, 
for many years was an important station on 
a prominent line of the so-called Under- 
ground Railroad. 

The connection between these two histor- 
ical facts may be worthy of some attention 
and discussion. Facts and incidents concern- 
incr the latter we are assured will be of deep 
local interest to those for whom we write. 
The killinor of a man, amoncr the millions of 
earth, may seem almost as insignificant as 
the crushing of a worm. Should an entire 
community like Round Prairie be swept 
away by a tornado, or swallowed up in an 
earthquake, the event would create but a 
ripple upon the sensational surface of the 
daily press of a small portion of the world. 
But the significance of events are not to be 
measured always by their apparent impor- 
tance. A casual observer might have 



Rou7id Prairie and Plymouth. 249 

thought that the firing of the first gun upon 
Fort Sumpter was an insignificant matter, 
involving but the waste of a few pounds of 
powder and iron, costing but a trifle, and 
hurting nobody. Yet who shall attempt to 
measure the importance of that act ? The 
inanimate mass of iron hurled thus against 
the walls of Sumpter, struck a living prin- 
xiple deep down in the hearts of the people; 
has shaken a great nation as in the throes 
■of an earthquake ; wasted millions of treas- 
ure ; drenched many a fair field with human 
blood, and carried sorrow and mourning to 
almost every fireside in the land. Why was 
this, does any one ask ? We may answer in 
the clear light of to-day — because the na- 
tional sin of human slavery could only be 
washed out in the nation's best blood. How 
few realized the real issue. Thousands, with 
an ardent glow of patriotism hastened to the 
tented field and an honored soldier's grave, 
who never saw the guiding hand above, 
■pointing to the enfranchisement of an en- 
slaved race, nor recognized the fact that that 
hand failed to crown their efforts with suc- 
■cess until the leaders fell in with God's 
plans. The end is not yet ; the work is un- 
finished, but it goes forward with resistless 
tread. " The mills of the gods grind slow- 
17 



250 A History of 

ly," expresses an important truth — though 
the maxim were better with the heathenism' 

of its plurality of gods left out . A few 

years are of small moment, as He ccnuits 
time in the working out of his plans. Years 
of preparation were necessary in educating 
a portion of the North up to the point where 
God could use them as instruments in doing 
the work He had planned to accomplish 
through the suppression of the great re- 
bellion. 

The death of Lovejoy was one of the links. 
in the chain of educational agencies that 
God used to train men in the principles of 
universal freedom. "The blood of the mar- 
tyrs is the seed of the church." That Love- 
joy was a martyr to his earnest convictions, 
no one doubts. His blood produced a 
bountiful harvest in the agitation of the 
slavery question through all this region. 
That agitation and discussion brought with 
it light, knowledge, sympathy for the op- 
pressed, and active effort in their behalf. 

Another historical event may be stated 
here, having a direct personal influence upon 
a number of the citizens of Round Prairie, 
giving a keener edge to their sympathies for 
the oppressed, and to their feelings against 
the oppressor. We refer to the capture^ 



Round Prairie and Ply mo2itli. 251 

and confinement in the Missouri peniten- 
tiary, of Alanson Work, James E. Burr and 
George Thompson, on the charge of " steal- 
ing slaves." The first named had been, for 
a time, a well-known resident of Round 
Prairie, and at the time of which we write, 
residing at the Mission Institute, near Quin- 
cy, for the purpose of educating his children. 
The other two persons were young men 
preparing for the ministry, the latter, George 
Thompson, then engaged, and afterwards 
married to a daughter of Lamarcus A. Cook, 
of this place. These men were captured on 
Missouri soil, arranging with slaves for their 
escape to freedom — confessedly an act of 
imprudence. There is a further fact to be 
stated, however : viz., at that time, and for 
nearly three years later, there was no law in 
Missouri designating that act as a crime, and 
consequently no penalty provided therefor ; 
yet these men were tried, and sentenced to 
the penitentiary for twelve years. They 
were pardoned after serving the following 
terms respectively : viz.. Work, three years 
and a half; Burr, four years and a half; and 
Thompson, five years. 

For further particulars concerning this 
event, the reader is referred to " Prison Life 
and Recollectiojis, by George Thompson, 



Zi-^2 A History of 

-one of the prisoners" — a book published 
in 1847. 

The capture of these men occurred in 
July, 1841. Our record of local incidents 
•commences at about the same time and ex- 
tends up to the time of Lincoln's Emanci- 
pation Proclamation, January ist, 1863. 

The cases cited above are merely illustra- 
tive of the thousands of incidents that added 
fuel to the flame of anti-slavery excitement 
throughout the entire north. An important 
form this general movement took on in par- 
ticular localities, was that of an organized 
•iiystem for aiding refugees from bondage on 
iheir way to a land of freedom. This system 
was designated the Underground Railroad. 
The secrecy of its workings justified the 
name. It is too late now to judge the men 
who carried on this business, by the then 
prevailing standard of human judgment. 
We have clearer light, and in that light 
must recognize God's plans, and the instru- 
ments He used in carrying them on. 

Much complaint was made by pro-slavery 
men, against their abolitionist neighbors, for 
bad citizenship, as manifested in their disre- 
gard of the requirements of the slave laws. 
While it must be admitted that the charge 
<:ontains a technical truth, as viewed in a 



Round Prairie and PlyuioittJi. 253s 

legal light, we think the taunt well met in^ 
the answer sometimes made to it : viz., " That 
if, in the free State of Illinois, men and 
women, guilty of no crimes save wearing a 
black skin that God gave them, and a love 
of liberty, were permitted to enjoy the right 
of passing at will, by day or night, upon our" 
public highways, there would have been na- 
just cause of complaint. But while such, 
persons did not dare to show themselves i^ 
public without the risk — aye, certainty — of. 
being hunted down like wild beasts, it was- 
only the dictates of a common humanity to» 
aid them in their journey by ways concealed 
from public observation." 

Again, this work was deeply imbedded in* 
religious convictions, and warm, earnest hu- 
man sympathies for the oppressed. 

The work, and the workers, thus imbued,, 
were invincible. Human laws are of little 
avail when they come in conflict with the' 
higher law, and with human sympathies. 

There were numerous lines of the U. G.. 
R. R. connecting the border slave States- 
with Canada, working independently of each, 
other. Some were thoroughly organized 
and efficiently managed ; others mere ave- 
nues over which passengers, like Pat on the 
towpath of the canal, worked their passage 



2 54 ^ History of 

as best they might. Ours was a first-class 
line. Its general route was virtually ap- 
proved by its adoption by the great corpo- 
ration now known as the C, B. and O. R. R 
connecting the central metropolis with the 
southwest and west. Its track was more 
flexible ; deviating sometimes this way, and 
sometimes the other, as circumstances re- 
quired, the main circumstance being the 
safety of the freight. The transit of passen- 
gers by the U. G. R. R. through the free 
States i^free ! shall we write it, while they 
were bound and gagged by slave laws 1 — 
well, that question, also, is now closed) was 
always a precarious one. The robbing and 
plundering of trains was frequent then, as it 
is now — profitable also, and far safer then 
than now. Train robbers could take the 
plundered property back to the consignors — 
former owners — and reap a rich money re- 
ward, and return to repeat the operation as 
often as they found the opportunity — safe 
within the protecting arms of the law. Hun- 
dreds along the line stood ready to avail 
themselves of such facilities for plunder and 
reward. The managers of the U. G. R. R. 
took all the risks, and they were neither few 
nor small. Railroadingf under such circum- 
stances required personal sympathy in the 



Round Prairie afid Plymouth. 255 

business, cool judgment, shrewdness in plan- 
ning, skill in executing, and pluck to meet 
■emergencies. 

Upon the line of which we write, or the 
small section of it coming within our imme- 
diate notice, Quincy and vicinity was the 
main depot upon the border ; Mendon, 
Augusta, Plymouth, Macomb, Galesburg, 
and other points beyond, prominent way- 
stations upon the line, with side tracks, or 
•deflections, reaching Laharpe, Huntsville, 
and intermediate places, to be used as ne- 
cessity required. These points are named 
as indicating the general course of the U. G, 
R. R. line, and not as fixing precisely the 
location of depots. These depots were pe- 
culiar in their character. While all was 
plain to the initiated, the Egyptians might 
about as well have hunted the linch-pins of 
their crippled chariots in the darkness and 
fog of their night march into the Red Sea, 
as for an outsider to attempt the search for 
freight at an U. G. R. R, depot. And yet 
anybody in the neighborhood could tell him 
without any hesitation the names, and point 
out the residences of half-a-dozen men well 
known as prominent U. G. railroad men. 
These depots were very much like the Irish- 
man's flea, who " when he went to put his 



256 -'/ History of 

finger on it, found it wasn't there." We 
might name, say, half-a-score of places on 
Round Prairie where a consignment of U' 
C). freight would be received, or put in the 
way of a welcome reception, duly cared for, 
and forwarded on its way with all the des- 
|)ateh that safety to the freight would per- 
mit. These names were as well known then 
as now ; and yet, outsiders, knowing such 
freight to have been received, almost univer- 
sally found the search for it to be a fruitless- 
effort. 

THROUGH nV DAYLIGHT. 

The trains on the U. G. usually ran at 

night, but not always. Conductor Z had 

a run to make from this station to the next,, 
with a consignment consisting of a negra- 
man, his wife and child. His skill and pluck 
were equal to any emergency, and his plans- 
for this run exhibited both. 

He hitched up his team one morning, 
for the trip, got the negro man under the 
seat of the wagon and covered him so as to- 
conceal him thoroughly from view, had his 
wife wrap the negro woman in such of her 
outside wearing apparel as was best known 

to those with whom Mrs. Z frecjuented 

in public, and with her face well co\ cred by 



Round Prairie and Ply moniJi. 257 

a thick veil, Conductor Z — took the woman* 
with her child in arms, on the seat by his 
side, and drove directly into Plymouth — ■ 
just where such freight, if recognized, would 
have been quickly captured as a valuable 
prize, stopped in front of the post office, and. 
went in for his mail, leaving his team ini 
charge of the one that passers by would 

naturally suppose to be Mrs. Z . He 

chatted with the bystanders in and about 
the office in his familiar and jovial way, as- 
he often does yet, apparently in no hurry,, 
until the social interchanges were exhausted, 
then he resumed his seat in the wagon and 
drove leisurely out of town, and made his 
run to Laharpe early in the afternoon. 
Knowing the risk of making a delivery of 
such freight by daylight without a previous 
knowledge that the way was clear, he left 
his load in a cornfield near his destination,, 
and went on alone to report his trip to the 
agent at Laharpe. The man was absent 
from the house, and there was considerable 
delay in seeing him. When the arrange- 
ments were completed for the reception of 
the dusky guests, Z — went back to the corn- 
field to bring them in, but found they were 
gone ; yet they could be readily tracked 
over the soft ground. F llowing the trail 



^5^ A Histo7y of 

he had not gone far when he noticed the 
negro down close to the ground, drawing a 
bead on him with a revolver. " Halloo ! 

'Ginger; what are you about there !"Z 

■shouted hastily. Recognizing the voice, the 
negro came forward to explain. The delay 

in Z 's return had excited the negro's 

suspicions that something was going wrong, 
and he had taken his wife and child away 
.and concealed them, and was now back on 
his trail to defend them and himself. He 
said that after all he had ofone throucrh to 
make his escape w^ith his family, it was too 
late to think of being taken back alive. 
This man's story, if wrought up by as skill- 
ful hands, would match, in thrilling interest, 
some of Mrs. Stowe's most powerful pictures 
in " Uncle Tom's Cabin," 

As an illustration of the motives that 
led thousands to escape from the border 
States, we give a condensed narrative of this 
man's experience for about a year previous 
to the time at which we leave him and his 
family safe at Laharpe. 

r.INC.F.R's STORY. 

Mr. Z — has incidentally furnished a name 
for oifr hero. 6^/;/ 4'^;-, like a great majority of 
".his fellows in the border States, where slave- 



Round Prairie and Plymoiith. 259 

ry prevailed in a much milder form than 
further south, was not over-worked, under- 
fed, or subjected to great abuse. In fact, 
his social and physical condition, in most 
respects, would differ but little from that of 
the ordinary laborer of the north. He and 
his class of people might have been tolerably 
happy and contented in their condition, but 
for the constant apprehension of being sold 
to southern slave traders, and thus separated 
from home, friends, and everything they held 
■dear. Love for these things is not to be 
measured by the color of the skin, but lies 
deep down in every true human heart. To 
the border state bondman, being sold to go 
south was dreaded next to, and in many 
cases even more, than death. This terror 
was kept fresh in their minds by its frequent 
occurrence. Did a slave-holder get in a 
strait for money, from any cause whatever, 
the sale of a likely negro or two afforded 
ready relief, and was resorted to with as 
little hesitation as a northern farmer would 
sell a surplus horse or pig fOr a similar 
reason. 

Ginger's fears had been excited by the 
fact that a cousin of his had recently been 
sold and sent south. And now the dread 
fact was brought to his knowledge that he 



26o A History of 

too was sold, and within two weeks was to 
be delivered, to the dreaded slave trader. 
This fact his master was anxious to keep 
from him ; but by a thorough system of 
espionage by the slaves over their masters, 
they managed to get a knowledge of most 
of their plans, which were readily communi- 
cated to each other. 

Ginger quickly devised a plan of his own,, 
which he greatly preferred to the one made 
for him bv his master. Biddingr his wife and 
infant child a hasty farewell, he made his- 
way safely to the north. Here he spent 
nearly a year; and finding the freedom and 
immunities of his changed condition so 
agreeable, as compared with the risks of 
slavery, he determined to return to Missouri 
and get his wife and child, that they might 
enjoy freedom together. He had also a 
friend that he wished to help away if he 
could — a crippled negro that he thought 
would enjoy freedom as well as himself. 
Ginger's mission was one of great risk and 
danger, but his love was stronger than his 
fears ; he determined to accomplish it or die 
in the attempt. 

Communication with and through the 
colored people was easy and usually safe. 
Keeping himself in conceahnent, he sent 



Round Prairie and Plyiuoulli. 261 

word to his crippled friend to meet him at 
a specified time and place in the woods, to 
make their plans for the exodus, to which 
the cripple signified his assent. 

At the appointed time. Ginger, without 
yet revealing himself, was on a sharp look- 
out for his friend. In the distance he saw a 
Jiegro approaching. As he came nearer, it 
was evident that he lacked the limping gait 
of the expected friend ; then other parties 
appeared in different directions, and Ginger 
■saw that he was betrayed and a trap set for 
his capture. He fled like a hunted deer, 
and when the guard closed in, the game was 
gone. Bloodhounds were called into requi- 
sition to follow the trail, and hot pursuit 
was made for a distance of five miles. 

By running some distance in the streams 
on his way, and other devices for foiling the 
doofs and throwingf them off his trail, Gino-er 
finally eluded his pursuers and made good 
his escape. His presence in the neighbor- 
hood, and his errand there, being now fully 
known, extreme caution was necessary in 
all his future movements. Keen strategy 
was displayed by both parties — by his pur- 
suers to entrap and capture him, and by 
Ginger to evade the snare, and secure an 
interview with his wife, which as yet he had 



262 A History of 

been unable to effect. Hoping to draw hi n^ 
into a trap, Ginger's wife was sent out to a 
stream in the woods to do a job of washing, 
and was kept there for several days under a 
concealed guard, expecting Ginger would 
improve the opportunity for an interview. 
This trap proved too transparent ; Ginger 
kept at a safe distance from it. The master 
then sent the woman out of the neiorhbor- 
hood, several miles away, hoping thus to- 
throw Ginger off her track, and at least save 
her, if he could not capture him. Faithful 
friends, however, kept him informed of her 
whereabouts, and soon again he was watch- 
ing with eagle eyes her routine of work, and 
calculating the chances it afforded for the 
much desired interview. 

One evening while she was milking the 
cows. Ginger crept upon his belly for eighty 
rods across a meadow through the grass, ta 
get near the milk house, where she must 
come with the milk, some distance from the 
family residence. To his dismay, when she 
came, there was another woman with her,. 
and also the house dog, which had nothing 
to do but snuff around until it stumbled 
upon Ginger in his hiding place, when it set 
up such an alarm, that a hasty retreat was 
Ginger's only alternative. 



Round Prairie and Plynnoiith. 26 



J- 



Fortunately, he again made good his es- 
cape from pursuit. His wife was moved to 
still another neighborhood, and a closer 
watch kept upon her movements. Here 
Ginger's eye was soon upon her and her 
surroundings again, taking in the opportuni- 
ties for the interview and escape. He found 
that she was confined at night in a rooms 
upon the ground floor, from which she could 
only be got out through the window. Im- 
mediately over her room, in the second story 
was another, where two men were kept on 
guard all night. Their window, directly 
over hers, was kept open, so that, by leaning 
out occasionally as they sat by it, they could 
see if anything went wrong below. 

The attempt to see his wife, and get her 
away, under such circumstances, was despe- 
rately dangerous, and yet Ginger determined 
to take the risk. 

He noticed that the guard by the upper 
window were apparently playing cards, and 
evidently interested in the game. This was^ 
favorable to his plans. Approaching the 
house at the rear, he crawled around the 
corner on hands and knees to the window,- 
where he attracted the attention of his wife 
by a very slight signal. Through a broken 
window light the escape was quickly planned.- 



t64 A History of 

By their united effort the window was quietly 
raised ; the sleeping child, now about a year 
•old, was passed out to its father, followed by 
the mother, and creeping around the corner 
unobserved, they made their way to the barn, 
took the best horse they could find, mounted, 
and rode, that night, to the Mississippi river. 
The horse was turned loose to make its way 
home as best it might, while they concealed 
themselves until another night should afford 
the opportunity of crossing the river. 
Through the day. Ginger, from his place of 
concealment, watched the movements of a 
man plying a skiff, for the purpose of learning 
how to manage it — an art that as yet he did 
not understand. Night came; Ginger took 
the skiff and managed to work it across the 
river with his precious freight, but not with- 
•out discovery and hot pursuit, that came 
near wrecking all his fond hopes just as they 
had reached — we were about to write, free- 
<lom's shore. That, however, would be more 
poetic than truthful. There were yet many 
weary, dangerous stages in the journey, be- 
fore they could feel themselves safe upon 
freedom's shore. 

With the remark that all these dangers 
-were safely passed, we take our leave of 
•Ginger and his family, feeling that he was 



Rowid Prairie and Plymouth. 265 

about right in saying to Mr. Z — , after draw- 
ing his revolver upon him in the cornfield at 
Laharpe, that " It is too late now, sir, to 
think of going back to Missouri alive." 

A COLLISION TRAIN ROBBERY. 

The U. G. R. R. was subject to accidents, 
as well as other lines of railroad. Serious 
collisions sometimes occurred, resulting, as 
such things usually do, from a variety of 
causes. Sometimes confidence was mis- 
placed, and a traitor admitted to a knowl- 
edge of the mysteries of the management, 
and allowed to take a hand in the runnine 
of trains. Such employes were well calcu- 
lated to make a "mess" of things, as the 
followinor illustration will show : 

A consignment had been received at 
Augusta late in the summer of 1849, consist- 
ing of two large, stout negro men, and a 
slender mulatto boy of 18 or 20 years. The 
boy had been a steward on a Mississippi 
river steamer. Augusta was well supplied 
with skillful, prudent managers of their U. 
G. depot ; but, unfortunately, one of the 
class above described had ingfratiated him- 
self into their confidence, and had been used 
several times successfully in the running of 
trains. This consignment had been placed 
18 



266 A History of 

in his care some distance out of town. It 
was a valuable lot of freight. The respect- 
ive owners of the negroes had offered $ioo 
each for their safe return to Hannibal, Mis- 
souri. This was a tempting bait. The trai- 
tor determined to improve the opportunity, 
and made his arrangements accordingly. 
Three determined men were let into the 
secret, and given timely notice for the neces- 
sary preparations. 

Resistance was expected, as the negroes 
were armed with dirks and heavy clubs. 
One of the party went into the fray on prin- 
ciple (?), like Pat into the free fight at the 
fair, for a " bit of sport." This man we shall 

call Mr. A — , the other two B and C . 

The leader we may as well call Judas for 
convenience, the missing link in the appro- 
priateness of the name being the fact that 
he has not yet " went and hanged himself." 
The arrangement made with the negroes 
was that a night run should be made, from 
their place of concealment on Ntibbin Ridge 
to Macomb, the negroes to go on foot, led 
by a young man of the regular U. G. force, 
whom we shall call Mr. D — . He was acting 
in good faith, but had been decoyed into this 
movement by Judas, as a blind, to help con- 
ceal its real character. 



Round Prairie and Ply7nondk. 267 

Judas was to go with the party to see 
them safely across Crooked Creek at the 
Lamoin bridge, as this was the only point at 
which any danger of an attack upon the 
train might be apprehended, if a knowledge 
of its passage had by any means leaked out.. 
From this point he was to return home. 

The eventful night came. The attacking 
party proceeded to the bridge, but came 
near breaking up on the way, because an old 
man who had been informed of the situation 
by one of their number, insisted on going in 
with them. Two of the party were deter- 
mined he should have nothing to do with it, 
or they would not. It was finally agreed 
that the old man should stay out. The 
three went on and concealed themselves at 
the north end of the bridge to await the ar- 
rival of the train. Judas led the train to the 

bridge, Mr. D bringing up the rear on 

horseback, carrying the meager baggage of 
the negroes. The negroes had been warned 
by Judas that this was the dangerous place 
in their journey ; and now he advised that 
if attacked, they fight their way through if 
possible ; but if compelled to retreat, they 
make their way back to his house as speed- 
ily as possible. With this advice he left 
them to make their way across as best they 



268 A History of 

miorht. When near the north end of the 

bridge they were confronted by A , B 

and C , and ordered to surrender. This 

was the signal for a lively fight, during which 
Judas hid himself under the bridge, out of 

harm's way. Mr. D , surprised and 

alarmed, turned his horse and made lively 
time towards home. In the mean time the 
old man, who had determined to be in on 
his " own hook," if not by consent of parties, 
and have a share in the spoils, had fallen 
into line in rear of the train, and now ap- 
peared on the field in the nick of time. The 
result of the fight at the north end of the 
bridge was that the mulatto boy surren- 
dered, leaving the odds too heavy against 
the remaining two negroes, who beat a re- 
treat. They were met at the south end by 
the old man, who ordered a halt. This was 
answered by a terrific blow from the club of 
one of the negroes, that broke the old man's 
gun short off at the breech, cut his ear, and 
felled him full length on the floor of the 
bridge. As he fell he exclaimed, " Oh ! 
Lord ! I'm killed ! " Mr. C— , who had done 
his best to keep the old man out of, and 
away from the " scrape," came up at this 
moment and congratulated him on the 
happy announcement he had just made, by 



Round Prah'ie and Plymoitth. 269 

saying, " I hope it is true." The gun un- 
doubtedly had saved the old man's life by 
breaking the force of the blow. As it was^ 
he was stunned and frightened, but not se- 
riously hurt. B bound up his bruised 

head ; and then, as the two negroes had 
made their escape, there was nothing more 
to do but gather up the results of the raid^ 
consisting of the mulatto boy, the wounded 
man, and the party, and return home. The 
trip was not altogether pleasant. Their ex- 
pectations were only very partially realized^ 
and considerable risks had been taken. 
They were cast down, but not utterly dis- 
couraged ; they still had hopes of capturing 
the other two men, based upon their expect- 
ation that they would act upon Judas' advice 
to return to his house. Plans were made 
accordingly for the completion of the job the 
next night. With these plans, however, A — 
announced that he would have nothing to do. 
Avarice was not his ruling passion ; he had 
entered into the scheme from his natural 
reckless, daring love of adventure, and did 
his first hard thinking on the morality and 
humanity of the affair on the way home that 
night after the fray. He was not long in 
reaching conclusions that would class him as 
a staunch " abolitionist ;" and he proved his 



270 A History of 

faith by making a fruitless effort, the next 
day, to find the two escaped negroes to warn 
them of the impending danger that night. 

The sequel to this story may be briefly 
told. The two negroes, not suspecting the 
treachery of their leader, returned as ad- 
vised, were captured and taken with the 
mulatto boy to Hannibal, by the old man 
and Judas, who received the offered reward. 
The old man assuming the position of cash- 
ier for the party, kept the lion's share for 
himself 

The member of the party to whom the 
■mulatto boy surrendered, received less than 
fifteen dollars for his share in the transac- 
tion, and the last installment of this amount 
was squeezed out of the old man under the 
■moral pressure of a revolver, that demanded 
a fair share of the plunder, or the alternative 
of having daylight let into his carcass. Upon 
this gentle persuasion, the old man emptied 
his pocket, containing five silver half-dollars, 

A FORTUNATE 15LUNI)ER. 

It was often thought best to start out a 
train on the U. G. R. R. by daylight ; in fact' 
■day trains were less liable to suspicion, if con- 
ducted with clue caution, than night trains, but 
the reception of a consignment by daylight 



Rou7td Prairie a7id Plymouth. 271 

was ordinarily extra-hazardous. We give 
an incident or two to show that sometimes 
this extra-risk, in reality, proved to be the 
only safeguard against detection and expo- 
sure. It was thought that important discov- 
eries and captures might be made if a watch 
was kept upon the premises of Mr. W — , and 
for a considerable time his residence was 
under close scrutiny at night, without any 
knowledge of the fact on his part, the guard 
going on duty at dark, and off at daylight. 
During this time a covered carriage from 

Mendon drove up to Mr. W 's house one 

afternoon, say two hours before dark, con- 
taining the driver and a lady friend of his 
upon the front seat. Back of this, concealed 
under the cover, was a negro woman and 
two children of about seven and twelve 
years respectively. These Mr. W — was 
expected to care for and forward. He was 
surprised that any driver in his senses should 
bring a consignment of negroes to his place 
in daylight, exposed as it was to public ob- 
servation ; and with a pretty sharp reproof, 
and warning not to repeat such an act of 
supposed imprudence, the driver was dis- 
missed. No hesitation in meeting an emer- 
gency was allowable with the true U. G. R 
R. man, and Mr. W. was ready to make the 



2/2 A Hzsto7y of 

best of this. The colored woman and chil- 
dren were promptly placed in the garret 
over the kitchen, duly cared for, and at the 
earliest favorable opportunity sent in care 
of a trusty conductor to Macomb. 

LOST STEPPING "DOWN AND OUT." 

On another occasion, three negro men, 
well armed with rifles, who had started out 
upon the trip, determined not to be taken 
back alive, had arrived at Augusta. From 
there they started, one night, piloted by a 
young man of the Augusta U. G. force, for 
the house of Mr. W. at Plymouth. For 
greater safety they went on foot, keeping 
away from the road, and under cover of the 
woods and underbrush. In the darkness of 
the night they lost their way and wandered 
about all night in a fruitless effort to reach 
their destination. Daylight revealed his 
bearings to the guide, and an hour later the 
party reached Mr. W — 's, a weary, forlorn 
company. This party was taken to the 
woods, concealed and cared for three days, 
before it was thought prudent to attempt 

another stage in their journey. Mr. X 

undertook to conduct them to Macomb. 
That station, like this, was widely scattered, 
having places for the reception of U. G^ 



Ro7t7id Prairie and Plymouth. 273 

freight at various points and distances from 
town. To one of the more distant of these 

Mr. X directed his course. When near 

his destination, in passing through a strip of 
woods, he saw some men in the road, some 
distance ahead, that he at once suspected of 
being on the lookout for just such freight as 
he carried. Giving the negroes a hint, they 
quickly and quietly stepped "down and out"^ 
in the rear, and took to the woods, appar- 
ently undiscovered. His wagon then pre- 
senting no appearance of concealed freight,. 
X — drove on, passed the men, and reported 
the situation to the proper party at the de- 
pot. By means of a concerted signal sys- 
tem, the negroes were readily found, when 
wanted, duly cared for, and properly for- 
warded. 

GOING TO MARKET. 

At one time Mr. W. had a negro man in 
his charge that he determined to take to 
Macomb in an open wagon, his only convey- 
ance, and make most of the trip by daylight. 
He filled a lot of sacks with light chaff from 
the barn floor, put some hay in the bottom 
of the wagon, upon which he had the negro 
lie down at full length, and then piled the 
bogus sacks of grain upon him, until he was 



2 74 ^ History of 

completely covered. Taking his wife with 
him, he started, about noon, for Macomb, 
leaving any curious observers to infer — if 
they chose to make inferences — that they 
were bound for market with a load of grain, 
on a trading expedition. All went well 
until they got a little beyond Crooked 
Creek, which they crossed at Lamoin bridge. 
Here they met three men on horseback. 
Just as they were nearing each other, Mr. 
W — looked around to see if his load ap- 
peared all right. To his dismay he found 
that the negro, weary of his constrained po- 
sition, had drawn up one foot so that his 
knee protruded between the sacks. At a 
quick nudge, the knee disappeared, leaving 
a fair surface again ; but the movement had 
evidently attracted the attention of the 
horsemen. The load was closely scanned 
.as they passed ; they stopped their horses, 
turned around, watched sharply awhile ; but 
failing to see any more suspicious move- 
ments among the sacks, and not compre- 
hending what they had seen, they resumed 
their course and rode on. 

The negro got a sharp reproof for the 
danger incurred by his exposure, as Mr. 
W — drove on in a state of mind consider- 
ably excited by the narrow escape. As ex- 



Round Prairie a7id Plymouth. 275 

pected, night overtook them before reaching 
their destination. In the darkness they 
came upon a piece of road that had been 

changed lately. Mr. W was at a loss 

which way to go, took the wrong road, and 
got hopelessly lost. There was no remedy 
but to inquire the way the first opportunity, 
and this was about the last thing he wanted 
to do, as the man he was looking for was 
well known as a prominent U. G. R. R. man, 
and inquiries for him might lead to sus- 
picions and revelations that would be very 
undesirable. Something must be done, 
ihowever, so he went to the first house he 
rsaw, and roused the man from bed and 

asked the way to Mr. . The man 

seemed interested, came out in the yard to 
point out the way, and went towards the 
wagon just as he had got out of bed. Hop- 
ing to check his curiosity, Mr. W — told him 
that his wife was in the wagon ; but the man 
went on to the gate, gave the necessary di- 
rections and then retired. 

The consignment was safely delivered at 
its destination, notwithstanding the real and 
supposed narrow escapes of the trip. It 
turned out that the curiosity and interest of 
the man that Mr. W — called up for inform- 
tion as to the way, was not of a dangerous 



2/6 A History of 

kind, as he was the son of the man for whom 
Mr. W — sought, and suspecting the nature 
of his mission, very kindly interested himself 
in pointing out the way to his father's house, 

DISCOVERY A NARROW ESCAPE. 

Strong proof of the efficiency with which 
this part of the U. G. R. R. line was man- 
aged, is furnished in the fact that no con- 
signment of living freight that had been 
regularly placed in charge of the agents of 
the line was ever lost in transit and taken 
back to Missouri, except the single instance 
already detailed, resulting from the treachery 
of an employe. 

One of the narrowest escapes may be 
recorded of a party taken by Mr. X — from 
this place to Macomb. Before reaching his- 
destination — an out-station there — he stop- 
ped his team in the timber, and went with 
his party on foot, across lots and through 
by-ways to conceal the movement from ob- 
servation. He reached the house and deliv- 
ered his consignment, as he supposed, undis- 
covered. Returning to his wagon, he was 
overhauled by a party of men who asked 
where he had been, and what his business 
there was, and demanded that he make a 
" clean breast " of it, and tell them the num- 



Round Prairie and Plyinoiith. 277 

ber of negroes, and the time they were ex- 
pected to start on their next stage in the 
journey; "for," said they, "we mean to have 
them anyhow." They found Mr, X — appa- 
rently very ignorant as to facts, and uncom- 
municative. Hoping to frighten him into 
such revelations as they wished to have him 
make, they claimed him as their prisoner, 
and threatened to take him to Macomb and 
put him in jail. Knowing that they could 
have no warrant for his arrest, he took the 
matter coolly and parleyed with them until 
they were satisfied they could get no inform- 
ation from him, when they allowed him to 
pass. Thinking it unwise for him to at- 
tempt to return and warn the agent of the 
discovery, X — hurried home, arriving at an 
early hour in the morning. He went imme- 
diately to Mr. Z— 's, told him the situation, 
and advised that he gro to Macomb at once 
and notify the agent of his danger. This 
was promptly done, and by noon the agent 
was posted so that he could make such plans 
as he might to escape the trap that he now 
knew would be set for him and the negroes 
in his care. He attempted a ruse to throw 
the hunters off the track. Taking his waggon 
to the barn early in the night, he had the 
cover fixed upon it, threw in some sacks of 



278 A History of 

grain or chaff, and had one of his men drive 
off as though he was in a great hurry to get 
somewhere very soon. Shortly after the 
wagon left, the agent started with the ne- 
groes on foot, in another direction, and 
across lots, hoping the pursuers would fol- 
low, or try to intercept the wagon. In this 
he was deceived. The ruse they had seen 
through, and now he found them on his 
track. In the attempt to capture the ne- 
groes they all escaped but one, and while 
his captors were on the way to Macomb with 
their prisoner he managed to make good his 
escape. 

As the result of this affair, the agent at 
Macomb was considerably annoyed by the 
prospect of a prosecution that threatened to 
grow out of it, but we are not aware that 
any serious inconvenience was ever suffered 
by him as a consequence of it. 

BIG HAUL A WORTHLESS NEGRO CAPTUREDi. 

We introduce a little incident here, that 
is worthy of record only because of the es- 
sential meanness of some of the transactions 
connected with it, and as showing that such 
meanness sometimes meets a fittinof reward 

It may not be out of place here to say, 
that the whole history of slave hunting in 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 2 79 

and about Round Prairie furnishes a grood 
illustration of the usual result of doing the 
devil's dirty work. Large pay is promised 
as the inducement, but valuable receipts are 
exceedingly small. 

A negro man with more self-confidence 
than judgment, determined to attempt a 
passage over the U. G. R. R. line " on his 
own hook." His plan seemed to indicate 
that the C, B. & Q. R. R. was his guide as 
to route, to the line of which he kept as close 
as he dared. Starting without any knowl- 
edge of where to find friends on the way, 
when hungry he ventured into houses at 
random to ask for food. Early in his jour- 
ney he stumbled among enemies in this way, 
who came near capturing and returning him 
to Missouri. The mishap broke his self- 
confidence completely; yet lacking the neces- 
sary knowledge, he avoided both friends and 
foes as far as possible, and suffered greatly 
in consequence. The weather was cold, and 
he laid out in the woods at night until his 
feet were badly frozen. He passed through 
Round Prairie without finding any of the 
many friends who would gladly have relieved 
his wants and helped him on his way, reached 
Colmar at night, when his sufferings drove 
him to seek help. He approached a house 



28o A History of 

and was received with apparent kindness, 
invited in, offered food and shelter, which 
were gladly accepted. 

During the night a messenger came over 
to Plymouth and informed a couple of men 
of the situation, who, armed with guns, went 
over and succeeded in capturing the poor 
starved and crippled negro. This brave act 
accomplished, and not being ready to start 
at once with their captive to Missouri, they 
arranged, it is said, with one party to provide 
for him, and with another to guard him, 
promising each $25 for their services, to be 
paid out of the expected reward. The ne- 
gro told his captors where and to whom he 
belonged. 

On reaching their destination with the 
captive, and delivering him to his master, 
they learned, to their great disgust, that the 
runaway had not been missed ; that if he had 
been no great effort would have been made 
for his recovery; no reward was, or would 
have been offered for him ; and that none 
would now be paid. They succeeded, how- 
ever, in orettinof enougfh from the master to 
pay their actual traveling expenses, and re- 
turned with earnest meditation, no doubt, 
upon the uncertainty of human events. For 
information as to whether those claims for 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 281 

services, at Colmar, have yet been paid, ap- 
plication should be made to the proper par- 
ties there. 

TRUE MANHOOD. 

In marked contrast with the preceding, 
we orive another incident showing how a true 
manhood rises above all petty considerations 
of politics or personal self-interest, and rec- 
ognizes the rights of man without regard to 
the color of his skin. It had been well if 
more of his political associates could have 
learned the lesson he taught — that free men 
were under no 7noral obligation to lower 
themselves to the plane of blood-hounds 
and engage in hunting down negroes like 
wild beasts. 

In all the incidents given we have with- 
held the names of the living, and of those 
engaged in any transactions that might be 
considered questionable in their character; 
but as he has passed beyond the reach of 
praise or censure, by friend or foe, we take 
pleasure In associating the name of Mr. C. 
H. Cuyler, deceased, with a little transaction 
in the U. G. R. R. line, alike honorable to 
himself and a common humanity. Being a 
prominent democrat, Mr. Cuyler was well 
known here as having no sympathy with the 
19 



282 A History of 

U. G. R. R. business. He had received a 
circular describing two runaway negroes 
and offering a reward of $100 each for their 
apprehension. While this was in his office, 
two negroes came to his house one night 
inquiring the way to the house of a promi- 
nent U. G. agent. Mr. Cuyler recognized 
them at once as the men described in the 
circular. He told them it would be difficult 
to direct them so that they could find their 
way to the place, in the dark ; " but," said 
he, " beys ! the best thing you can do is, to 
come in, get what supper you want, then gO' 
and sleep in my barn, come in early in the 
morning, get your breakfast, and then I will 
show you which way to go." They acted on< 
his advice, and went on their way in the 
morning in safety. " Two hundred dollars 
thrown away!" some negro hunter will ex- 
claim. Aye! indeed!! But Mr. Charles H, 
Cuyler's manhood was not to be measured 
by any such paltry standard. 

A LIVELY LOAD AND LIVELY TIME. 

Mr. Y called at the house of Mr. W — 

on his way home from a three days trip 
to Quincy, and found that a company of six 
negroes had just arrived, that were to be 
sent on their way to freedom. There was 



Round Prairie mid Plymouth. 28 



v> 



a man and his wife, with two children, and a 
young man, all under the leadership of a 
negro called Charley, who had been over 
the line half a dozen times or more. He 
had become well known to the regular 
agents of the route. His various trips to 
and from Missouri had been made for the 
purpose of getting his wife away ; failing in 
which, he would gather up such friends as 
he could and pilot them to freedom. 

Mr. Y — detailed himself for the service 
of taking the party to Macom.b, to start next 
morning, making a day trip. The party of 
six were stowed as well as possible at full 
length on the bottom of the wagon and cov- 
ered closely with sacks of straw. These 
were so light that they showed a decided 
tendency to jolt out of place, and thus per- 
haps to make unwelcome revelations on the 
road. To remedy this a rope was drawn 
down tightly over the sacks and fastened at 
the ends of the wagon. This kept things to 
place, and all went well until near the end 

of the journey. Here Mr. Y became 

doubtful as to the proper road to take, took 
the wrong one, and passed three young men 
getting out logs in a piece of woods through 
which his way led him. He did not dare to 
stop and inquire the way of them, for fear 



284 A History of 

they might pry into the nature of his load 
too closely. As he drove on he thought 
there was a striking family likeness in the 
young men, to the man he was looking 
for. He went on, however, until he came 
to a cabin a little off the road, where he 
thought it safer to inquire. As he went in 
he confronted a man that he recognized only 
too well as one he cared little to meet on 
such a mission. But it was a cold, snowy 
day, and his face was so concealed by his 
wrappings that he was not recognized by 
the occupant of the cabin, who gave him the 
information sought. Mr. Y — found that he 
had gone too far, had to retrace his way to 
the woods and there turn off. Here again 
he came upon the young men who had been 
delayed with their load by getting " stalled " 
in a deep rut. Better satisfied now as to 
their identity, he inquired the way of them. 
Guessing his mission readily, they made free 
inquiries about his load, which were answer- 
ed as freely. Finding " Charley " was in the 
company, one of the young men determined 
to frighten him, or at least have a joke at 
his expense. Calling his name in stern 
tones, he told him that he knew he had 
passed over the line several times in safety ; 
" but," said he, " I have caught you at last ; 



Round Prairie and Plymojith. 285 

you are now my prisoner." Charley, still in 
concealment with the others under the sacks, 
recognized the voice of an old acquaintance, 
did not turn white with fear, but enjoyed 
the pleasantry. 

Soon all were safely housed at Mr. 's, 

After supper " all hands " gathered in the 
parlor, where for a time there was a free in- 
termingling of story, song and mirth ; after 
which an old violin was produced and " op- 
erated " upon by some one of the company, 
while the negroes " let themselves out " into 
a regular old-fashioned plantation " hoe 
down," which lasted until all were ready to 
retire with aching sides from excess of fun. 
This evening's entertainment is noted as a 
particularly bright spot in U. G. R. R. expe- 
rience — brightened wit /i genuine 7iegro pol- 
ish. 

A PAIR OF PHOTOGRAPHS. 

We ought not to forget what slavery was, 
nor what it did. To refresh our memory let 
us look at a photograph or two. 

One day a genteel looking young man of 
somewhat dark complexion came to Mr. 
Y — 's and conversed with him some time 
before he was suspected of being a fugitive. 
When asked if this was his position, he 
frankly admitted it. 



2 86 A Histo7'y of 

On his way over he had met Mrs. Y 

and another lady, and inquired of them the 
way. From his appearance and genteel ad- 
dress they had no suspicion of his being a 
runaway slave. While stopping here Mr. 
Y — took him, one clay, to the house of a 
friend. They staid for dinner, and during 
the meal the subject of caste came up, in the 
discussion of which Mr. Y — remarked to 
the host, that he was then entertaining a 
negro slave at his table. The host was 
greatly surprised, and could be scarcely 
convinced of the fact. It was deemed en- 
tirely safe, by the U. G. agents, for this fugi- 
tive to travel openly by daylight, and he had 
done so from Ouincy, and continued his 
journey from here in the same way, stopping 
with friends on the route (as occasion re- 
quired), to whom he was directed from place 
to place. 

This young man was his master s so?i by a 
slave mother. He grew up active, intelli- 
gent and trusty. He had for some time 
been in sole charge of his father-master's 
business, a position of considerable trust 
and responsibility, in which he proved him- 
self trustworthy and fully competent. He 
had a " lesritimate " brother, the two bearinof 
a strong family resemblance, about the only 



Roiuid Prairie and Plyino2Lth. 287 

■difference being a very slight tinge in the 
color of the slave brother's skin. 

The legitimate brother was a profligate, 
a spendthrift, and a tyrant ; a constant 
source of vexation and trouble to his father, 
and who was yet allowed by him to tyran- 
nize over and abuse his slave brother until 
life was almost a burden. This abuse was 
suffered patiently for a long time ; but finally, 
in his estimation, " forbearance ceased to be 
a virtue," and relief was sought in a success- 
ful flight. No moralizing in this case is 
necessary. 

Let us look now for a moment on photo- 
graph No. 2, An old man, from fifty to sixty 
years of age, had made his way, somehow, 
from forty miles below New Orleans to 
Ouincy. He had had a fearful experience 
of the rigors of slave life in the far south, 
and was now making his escape therefrom. 
At Quincy he providentially stumbled into 
a sawmill on the river bank, to sleep. This, 
he found out in some way, belonged to the 
very man, of all others in Quincy, that he 
wanted to see — the principal U. G. agent 
there. He was soon put upon the line and 
sent forward, arriving safely upon Round 
Prairie, and was placed in care of Mr. Y — . 
Here, out in a clump of underbrush, he 



288 A History of 

stripped off his shirt to exhibit to his host a 
rare specimen of workmanship done in hu- 
man flesh, by such cunning malignity as 
could only be born of slavery, aided by the 
prince of darkness. 

A cat — not the sailor's instrument of tor- 
ture, known as the " cat-o'-nine-tails," a sort 
of whip — but a living cat with its four sharp 
sets of fearful claws, had been taken by the 
cruel overseer, by its tail and neck, and 
dragged backwards down the man's back ; 
resenting such treatment as only a cat could^ 
by setting its claws as firmly as possible into 
the quivering flesh. This operation was 
continued until no space was left upon his 
back for its further application. These 
wounds had festered, leaving a series of 
deep, close furrows, plainly legible in lines 
of living flesh covering the whole back. 
Across these were an irregular series of 
heavy welts raised by the overseer's lash. 

We have no taste, dear reader, for the 
exhibition of such pictures; but historic 
truth demands that we present them as hav- 
ing been exhibited already, in this nineteenth 
century, on Round Prairie, in the free State 
of Illinois. 



Round Prairie and PlymoiUh. 289 

A GRAND RALLY AND HUNT. 

Perhaps the most exciting incident that 
has ever occurred in the history of the U, 
G. R. R. in Round Prairie, and at the same- 
time the most dramatic in its details, occur- 
red in the fall of 1857. A professional wri- 
ter of sensational stories might easily work 
up the material furnished by this incident 
into a novel of respectable size. Our aim 
in giving its details, shall be, as it has been 
in all the incidents found in this book, to 
give an exact and faithful narrative of facts 
as obtained from the best sources of informa- 
tion open to us. 'We may say further here,, 
once for all, that the facts of every anecdote 
found upon these pages, unless otherwise 
specified, have been furnished us by parties 
who were active participants in the scenes 
described, or who were otherwise thoroughly 
conversant with the facts stated. We deem 
this statement due to the facts, many of 
which " are stranger than fiction." 

Late one Saturday night, or, rather, per- 
haps early Sunday morning, a covered wag- 
on stopped at the house of Mr. X — , located 
at a point on Round Prairie that we shall 
not designate. The driver aroused Mr. X — 
and called him out to inform him that he 



.290 A History of 

had a consignment of negroes that he wish- 
ed to place in his care. Under ordinary 
■circumstances the charge would have been 
readily accepted ; but at this time Mr. X — 
had in his employ an Irishman who could 
have found no greater pleasure than to get 
scent of a trail that might lead to the cap- 
ture of a runaway " nager." For this reason 
it was thought imprudent for Mr. X — to re- 
-ceive the freight. The driver was informed 
of the peculiar situation and advised to take 
his cargo to the house of Mr. Y — . In the 
mean time the Irishman, awakened by the 
■slight disturbance below, looked out, saw the 
wagon, and was sharp enough to take in the 
situation at a s^lance. In his eagerness he 
rushed out, without stopping to consider the 
propriety of his appearance in company in 
his very limited night apparel. He ap- 
proached the driver in a very familiar way, 
.and tried to convince him that, beino- him- 
self a sound " abolitionist," there would be 
no harm in admitting him to confidence, 
and allowinof him to share in the manacle- 
ment of the case. The driver, duly fore- 
warned, paid no attention to his blarney 
and drove off, hoping thus to get rid of his 
too familiar attentions. 

But the Irishman determined to track the 



Roitnd Pi'airie and PlymoiLih. 291 

•game to its hiding place, and then arrange 
for its capture. Not daring to lose the time 
necessary to add to his wearing apparel, he 
tfoUowed as he was, keeping far enough from 
the wagon to escape observation, yet near 
enouofh to be sure of its destination. The 
distance to Y — 's house was not great, and 
the Irishman was rejoiced to see the wagon 
•stop there, and the living cargo unload and 
.approach the house. So well satisfied was 
he now, that the game was safe, that he has- 
tened home to add somewhat to his dress, 
and then notify some of the nearest neigh- 
bors, v/ho were as eager for such game as 
;himself, and secure their assistance in its 
capture. 

No attempt to pass the negroes on, or to 
change their quarters, was expected until 
the coming night ; and being the Sabbath, 
no legal steps could be taken at once for 
their arrest. A quiet outlook may have 
been kept over the premises during the day 
to guard against any flank movement by 
Mr. Y — against surprise and the capture of 
the o^ame. 

The Sabbath hours furnished abundant 
time for the Irishman to consult with his 
friends, make the necessary plans, and se- 
cure all the assistance he mieht need. It 



292 A History of 

was deemed prudent to place a strong guard 
around the premises at night to prevent the 
possibiHty of an escapade. At an early- 
hour on Sunday evening armed men arrived 
in sufficient numbers to carry out the plan. 
As night drew on, the crowd increased. A 
neighbor on his way to prayer meeting, pur- 
posed passing Mr. Y — s house that evening, 
as it was nearer than by the road, and when 
near the place, was ordered to halt by a little 
cluster of men not far from the point at 
which it appeared he was attempting to 
pass the picket line of the guard. Failing 
to comprehend the situation, or not recog- 
nizing their authority, he passed on. The 
order was repeated in more emphatic tones, 
but not regarded. The sharp report of a 
gun close upon the order, demanded consid- 
eration. The neighbor halted, turned his 
course, abandoned his peaceful mission to 
the house of prayer, and returned home for 
his gun, remarking to a friend that, " if shoot- 
ing was the game, it had at least two sides 
to it." On his way back he notified other 
neighbors of the situation, some of whom 
proceeded with him to Mr. Y — 's. Here 
things began to look serious ; some of the 
family were alarmed and frightened at the 
supposed, or, possibly, real danger. 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 293 

With the hope of getting rid of the an- 
noyance more speedily, Mr. Y — approached 
some of the leaders, and offered them the 
privilege of making their contemplated 
search at once, without legal warrant. But 
they were in no mood to take advice from 
Mr. Y — or his friends. Having a sure thing 
of it, they were going about its execution in 
their own way. Changing front, Y — then 
told them they were trespassing upon his 
premises without authority of law, disturbing 
his family, breaking the peace — in brief, 
that they were rioters, and that unless they 
promptly dispersed and left his premises, he 
should take speedy measures to have them 
arrested as such. Scorning his threat, as 
they had his previous advice, they told him 
that he was their prisoner, and would not be 
allowed to leave the premises. With the 
aid of a friend, however, who led his horse 
out of the lines at one point, while he passed 
out at another, Mr. Y — was soon on his way 
to the office of a justice of the peace in a 
distant part of the township. The friend 
who had aided Y — in getting out of the 
lines, did not add greatly to the good nature 
of the crowd, by pointing to the receding 
form of the horseman, and taunting them 
with their inefficiency as a guard, as they 



294 ^ History of 

had allowed their " prisoner " to escape^ 
This was of small consequence to them^ 
however, as compared with the game still in. 
" the bush." 

The hours of the Sabbath finally passed 
away, and the curtain of midnight fell upon 
the scene, to rise again with the early dawn 
upon another exciting act in the passing: 
drama. 

The wild Irish leader had gone, at the 
first opportunity after the Sabbath had 
passed, to the office of a justice of the peace 
near at hand, for a warrant to search the 
house, and arrest the negroes. This docu- 
ment is worthy of record here, as showing 
the legal stahis of nie7i with a black skin, at 
that time ; also as defining a crime now ob- 
solete in this country, and as containing a 
classification of " property " that already 
seems strange, and will seem more so as the 
years go by. The substance of the warrant 
is reproduced here from memory, by one 
who copied it from the docket soon after it 
was issued, and who preserved it for years 
as a memento of the occasion, and is thought 
to be substantially, if not really, verbatim. 
It reads as follows, except names and dates : 
viz., " M — W — comes, and on his oath de- 
clares that a larceny has been committed at 



Round Pj'airie and Plymouth. 295 

the County __ of Schuyler, State of Illinois,, 
and that the goods stolen, to wit : three ne- 
groes are supposed to be concealed in the 
house of J. B, Y — . 

" To all constables, etc., greeting: 

" You are hereby commanded to search in 
the daytime, the house of said J. B. Y — , and 
if any of the said goods be found, the same 
are to be seized and brought before me. 
" (Signed), A. B— , J. P." 

Armed with this document, the Irishman 
returned to the field of action, to await with 
his comrades the coming of the morning, 
and of the officer who had been secured to 
execute the warrant. During this interim, 
an interesting little episode occurred that, 
deserves notice. 

Questioning the fact, that the Irishman? 
had a search warrant, the friends of Mr. Y — 
demanded to see and read it for their own 
satisfaction. This was refused on the plea 
that they wanted possession of the paper for 
the purpose of destroying it. Protesting 
against this charge, and claiming good in- 
tentions, and to be acting in good faith, the 
demand was renewed, but again refused. 
The demand was then made that the Irish- 
man, or some of his friends, should read it 
aloud, as they certainly had a right to be 



296 A History of 

satisfied as to the fact of his having the 
authority claimed. This proposition was 
assented to, a Hght procured, and some one 
selected to do the reading. The one chosen, 
however, proved a failure in this scholastic 
arc. With all the legal clearness and pre- 
cision of the document, the reader failed to 
make anything intelligible out of it. After 
further parley, it was agreed that, the Irish- 
man holding the document, a friend of Y — 's 
might approach, take hold of one corner of 
the paper, and looking over at the Irishman's 
side, read it. When nearly through, sus- 
picions of foul play came into the Irishman's 
head again, and jerking away the paper, he 
blew out the light, brought down his gun, 
and ordered the party to stand back. Sharp 
words ensued upon this abrupt termination 
of the affair, but nobody was hurt, and the 
episode had helped to pass away the tedious 
hours of night. 

Morning came, and with it the officer, to 
whom was committed the responsibility of 
maintaining, by his personal service or sac- 
rifice, if need be, the majesty of the law. 

The constable, accompanied by the Irish- 
man, armed with revolvers and huge knives, 
proceeded to search the house. They were 
afforded the fullest opportunity to make 



Round Prairie and Plymouth. 297 

thorough work of it. With extreme caution 
they went over the Louse, in constant dread 
of having their heads broken by the clubs 
of the burly negroes whom they expected 
would suddenly spring upon them from their 
concealment. 

Thus the search went on, from cellar to 
garret ; every room, closet, nook or cranny, 
that was supposed to afford space for the 
■concealment of a human being, was thor- 
oughly explored, but not a curly head could 
be found. 

The case began to look hopeless. The 
mystery was beyond comprehension. That 
the negroes had been fairly tracked to the 
place designated, there was no more doubt 
than there was of the existence of the Irish- 
man who saw them there with his own eyes. 
That there had been time enough to spirit 
them away during his brief absence from the 
place, or that any attempt to move them on 
to another point that night, would be made, 
were deemed too improbable for considera- 
tion. So the mystery deepened. The negro 
hunters were foiled, bitterly disappointed 
and chop-fallen at the miserable failure of 
their search. 

To add to their chagrin, the friends of 
Mr. Y — now began to ridicule them for 
20 



298 A History of 

their inefficiency as hunters. Old logs and 
boards were turned over about the premises, 
exposing rat holes that they were urged to 
look into. All sorts of suggestions were 
made to tantalize them, and urge their 
search into various improbable places of 
concealment. This storm of ridicule they 
were now in no mood to meet or resent. 

To make their discomfiture complete, as 
they were about to abandon the search and 
leave the field, a new actor appeared on the 
stage, in the person of an officer armed with 
a warrant for the arrest of the Irishman and 
several of his most prominent followers, on 
a charge of riot. To the execution of this 
writ all submitted quietly but one young 
man, who swore he "wouldn't go." The 
officer ordered a posse to seize the rebel- 
lious young man, tie him, and load him into 
the wagon with the other prisoners. Two 
stout men sprang forward to execute the 
mandate, when the young man "came down" 
with such grace as he could command, and 
climbed into the wagon. All were taken 
before a Justice of the Peace some miles dis- 
tant, examined, and bound over for their 
appearance at court. The final result of the 
case was, that after various dilatory proceed- 
ings, delaying it from term to term, it was 



Rotmd Prairie and Plymouth. 299 

thrown out of court in consequence of an 
error that had crept into the date of an im- 
portant paper, placing the event a year from 
the time of its actual occurrence. How this 
error happened, is one of the legal mysteries 
of the case, supposed to be understood only 
by the profession. Its explanation we do 
not attempt. 

An interesting side scene occurred that 
Sunday night, while the great drama was on 
the boards, that has a place in our story, and 
is of permanent interest to a considerable 
circle of friends. 

A near friend of Mr. Y — was seen making 
hurried movements about the neighborhood, 
in the darkness, under cover of night, sug- 
gestive of active preparation for some press- 
ing emergency. Any such action on the 
part of Mr. Y — 's friends at this stage of af- 
fairs, was thought to be decidedly suspicious, 
and as indicating some shrewd, bold flank 
movement for the escape of the negroes 
from the snare so surely closing in upon 
them. A close watch was kept upon this 
man's movements, with the earnest expecta- 
tion that a clue might thus be obtained to 
important revelations. Nor was this expect- 
ation disappointed, except in the nature of 
the revelation. 



300 -A History of 

No runaway negroes were found, no "lar- 
ceny" discovered, nor "stolen goods" un- 
earthed ; but a certain promising young man, 
who is sometimes seen upon our streets^ 
dates his birthday (?) back to that eventful 
Sunday night: viz., November 8th, 1857. 

TJie sequel to this story furnishes an im- 
portant act in the drama ; and the events we 
now relate will probably furnish many of the 
actors in the scene their first knowledge of 
the reasons why they failed in their search 
for the negroes. 

Mr. Y — knew that he was a " marked 
man," and that his premises were sometimes 
watched, and peculiarly liable to search if 
any suspicious circumstances should point 
that way. Extreme caution was therefore 
necessary on his part. 

The three negroes were received by Mr, 
Y — precisely as the Irishman had stated^ 
but were not taken into the house, nor con- 
cealed on the premises, but led around in 
rear of the house and down to lower ground, 
a short distance away, that would hide the 
party from observation in the opposite direc- 
tion, and then taken to the house of Mr. Z — , 
a near neighbor who at that time was not so 
much under the ban of suspicion as Mr. Y — ► 
This movement was executed with so much 



y BD-232 



Ro7ind Prairie and Plymotith, 301 

celerity that Mr. Y — was safely at home 
aofain before the Irishman's counter move- 
ment was carried out. 

Mr. Z — received the negroes, put them 
in his garret, supplied them with food for 
the day, and as the time approached, went 
about the usual preparations for going to» 
church. There was at this time a lady vis- 
itor in his family, who would have objected 
strongly to being an original party to any 
such "underground" proceedings as now 
surrounded her. Knowing, as he did, that 
her views were directly opposite his own 
upon this subject, Z — did not hesitate 
to explain the situation to her, so far as- 
necessary ; and relying safely on her honor 
as a lady, and her obligations as a guest, left 
her alone in charge of the house, and virtu- 
ally on guard over the negroes, while he and 
his family went to church as usual. 

Apprehensive that a failure of the search 
at Y — s might lead to the search of other 
premises near by, it was deemed prudent ta 
get the negroes further from the scene on 
Sunday night, before the search should be 

made at Y — s. Accordingly Mr. X and 

Mr. Z — went with them after night across- 
lots, to a place in the neighborhood about 
two miles away, where it was thought they. 



302 A History of Round Prairie.. 

would be safe. After getting there, upon? 
consultation it was thought best to take 
them out of the neighborhood altogether^ 
In accordance with this decision, X. — and 
Z — took the negroes on horseback, struck 
off upon a side track directly away from the 
main line, placed them in safe quarters ten. 
miles away, near Huntsville, and were back 
upon the scene of the excitement in the- 
early morning, to join in the sport made at 
the expense of the discomfited negro- 
hunters. 

Many additional incidents might be given) 
— in fact, this subject alone would furnish 
abundant material for a book of several 
hundred pages ; but we think enough have 
been given to illustrate fairly the modus 
operandi of the Underground Railroad sys^- 
tem. 



THE END. 












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